Kung Fu Panda: Operation Dragon Termination
by Frost2001
Summary: After KFP 3. A new threat is looms. Po's world is falling apart around him. People change, friendships deteriorate, romances blossom & end. Po finds himself alone & abandoned, his only supposed 'friend' tried to kill him last they met. However, his journey is far from over...not if a certain princess has anything to say about it. Adult themes & some profanity. PoxOC1 PoxTi TixOC2
1. Prologue

**Authors note:**

 **This is my first fanfic, so I apologize in advance for any hiccups in the writing. Constructive criticism is welcome.**

 **I had help from an associate on this project, she was the editor.**

 **In my opinion the Legends of Awesomeness series was not canon; there will be no references to it.**

 **This story is under the Adventure & Angst genre, but there will definitely be humor, friendship, action, and of course romance.**

 **In short this story has a multitude of genre mixes. Adventure & Angst were only chosen because they were the primary two that the story revolves on.**

 **Just as a warning, this story has moments of adult/sexual themes and references (nothing too major or graphic), moderate profanity, and moderate violence. I felt that it didn't deserve a rating any higher than a T, but you guys can be the judge of that.**

 **This story is planned to be a long one. I plan on making it 200k+ words, so hang in with me and please give it a chance.**

 **Hope you enjoy what's in store.**

 **Read & Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own** **Dream Works or Kung** **Fu Panda. I only own this specific plot and my OCs.**

* * *

 ** _Booooooooom!_**

Lightning flashed across the gloomy and darkened sky followed by the rumbles of thunder. A downpour of rain bombarded the ground and landscape. The rain plummeted from the clouds as if it were reflecting the tears from the gods above; gods grieving over a disastrous event that had occurred only a few days prior.

Newly rebuilt, the Jade Palace was standing tall, but the atmosphere around it felt heavy and dejected. The Hall of Heroes was empty, the Training Hall soundless and left untouched, and the Barracks were vacant and lifeless.

Residents of the Jade Palace were awaiting supper, trying to clear their minds of the unpleasant thoughts that plagued them.

Inside the kitchen and dining area, sitting around the table were the Furious Five…Four and Master Shifu. Unlike many other times, they were devoid of mirth. There were no jokes, there were no Shifu impersonations, and there weren't any conversations at all.

Mantis was nervously tapping his 'thingies' on the table. At the head of the table, Monkey was twiddling his thumbs and muttering to himself quietly. Crane had earlier taken his hat off and was now running his feathered fingers along the seams of it. Viper, who was next to Crane, had a distressed expression upon her face. Shifu was sitting with a fatigued look, just as quiet as the rest.

Cooking at the stove top was the usually jovial and upbeat, Mr. Ping. No one said a word; a certain panda who was the usual conversation starter was absent, as well as a certain tiger and a new acquaintance of theirs. All was still, nothing but the sounds of knife chopping and other noises from the cook.

Eventually the silence was broken,

Mr. Ping sighed, "Are they still out there?" as he shuffled over to the table and started to serve his famous noodle soup to the four masters and one grandmaster who were present.

"Yes, but they are going to catch a cold if they stay out in this weather any longer," Viper said worriedly.

Both Monkey and Crane looked up from their distractions and nodded in agreement. This brought Master Shifu out of his train of thought.

He hopped down from his chair, "Viper is right; they need to come inside, eat, and rest. They haven't had a decent meal and night's sleep in days". He strode out quickly, soon followed by the others.

"Jeez, I can't get girls to worry about me this much when I'm alive!" Mantis grumbled.

 ** _Thwap!_**

Viper smacked Mantis on the back of the head with her tail and hissed at him.

"Ow!" Mantis exclaimed. "What, too soon?" he chuckled anxiously. Viper gave him an icy glare and slithered off to catch up with the others.

"Yeah, too soon. Definitely too soon," Mantis sighed sadly and took off after them.

* * *

Master Shifu opened the double doors to find two felines sitting miserably on the steps, soaked from head to toe in the cold rain. The rain falling around them, wind whipping past them, they didn't appear to care. Seemingly oblivious to the weather, the duo was staring blankly out into the night. One was easily recognizable as the illustrious Master Tigress, part of the fabled Furious Five, as well as the unofficial leader. The other was a striking lioness.

"It seems foolish to sit out in this freezing shower," Shifu stated calmly.

"I don't care," they both replied simultaneously, their voices broken.

Shifu, while understanding their heart-ache refused to let this continue any further. Pointing to Tigress with Oogway's jade staff, "As your Master and Father," and then pointing to the lioness, "and as your host; I kindly ask that you come inside, have dinner, and get some rest," he finished.

The four masters and goose watched the scene unfold from the doorway in silence. They all quietly gasped when both the felines turned around to face them.

Tigress's usually vibrant amber eyes were empty and dull. Her pelt which was always gleaming and groomed was a tangled, ruffled mess. The same could be said for the lioness; her once golden coat had lost its sheen and her eyes seemed as lifeless as Tigress's.

"Could you please leave us?" Shifu asked the group behind him, but his tone left no room for debate. They looked at Shifu and nodded before turning away and shutting the doors. Tigress and the lioness huffed in slight annoyance but with a sense of gratitude.

"At least get out of the rain and under the overhang," Shifu reasoned.

The felines huffed again as they both rose and slowly ascended a few steps and collapsed under the overhang.

Content; Shifu began to think of how to deal with the situation. He had never been very good at comfort or consolation, this he knew was a fact. He was brought out of his thoughts when he heard a whimper. It had come from the lioness.

Both of the girls had their knees tucked to their chest. These were two of the strongest warriors he had ever had the pleasure of teaching, and they looked so lost and vulnerable.

"It's okay, just let it out," Shifu said softly. He hadn't even finished his sentence before the two broke down.

Tears streamed down their faces as they both bawled. Shifu himself had a difficult time remaining composed as he watched them. He eventually let go of his resolve and went over to hug them both.

Tigress whimpered, "I miss him so much."

"I can't believe he's gone," the lioness wept evocatively.

The rain seemed to become even more intense as the three Kung Fu warriors sat together and mourned. Eventually, they headed inside to turn in.

Some distance away, a shadowy figure stood atop a mountain, seemly unbothered by the weather and very amused. A wicked smile graced his features that were mostly hidden by his cloak's hood.

"Operation Dragon Termination has been a success," he chuckled coldly as he disappeared into the stormy night.

 ** _This was the beginning of the end; this was how the Dragon Warrior died._**

* * *

 **A/N: That's that. Pretty shocking start right? Don't worry, there is a lot of ground to make up before we get to the Dragon Warrior's supposed death. I hope you guys & girls enjoyed. Stay tuned for the next update. **

**I love feedback, so feel free to drop a review.**

 **Frost2001 Out.**


	2. Chapter 1: The Spirit Realm

**A/N: Welcome back! This chapter's just over 1500 words. I believe that future chapters will progress in length and detail, once I get into my groove. Anyways, onto the story!**

 **Read & Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Dream Works or Kung Fu Panda. I only own this specific plot and my OCs.**

* * *

 _2 years earlier_

 _The Spirit Realm_

Golden rays of chi flowed and aesthetically lit up the Spirit Realm. Brought to peace by the Dragon Warrior, all the masters lived in harmony. Master Porcupine was practicing Tai Chi on his small island; the Badger Twins were sparring, and so forth.

All seemed well. However, a certain turtle would soon receive terrible news.

Master Oogway was balancing on his 'bigger' jade staff next to his Peach Tree, at the center of this realm.

Oogway sighed in content, "Finally, Inner Peace."

Suddenly, his mind was assaulted by a flurry of images and hallucinations.

 ** _*Vision*_**

 _China was in chaos. Cities and governments were being overthrown by villains. Kung Fu Masters being executed left and right. Only the Jade Palace remained._

 _Dead bodies littered the remains of the Valley of Peace. The housing and buildings were torn and burned to the ground, while bandits looted and slaughtered the remaining innocents. "Where are the five?" yelled a middle age goat, who was trying to fend off multiple wolves. His pleas were left unanswered as he was cut down. Any resistance from the villagers was quickly overwhelmed by the increasing number of enemy forces._

 _High above the valley stood the Jade Palace, however, it was burning. The last scrolls of Kung Fu knowledge with it. The Furious Five and Shifu were being led down the mountain in chains. They looked miserable and hopeless as they were prepped for execution; be-heading. Tigress was forced into the guillotine. Seconds away from death, she stole a glance in the direction of the destroyed town. All the criminals had ceased their actions and began gathering in a crowd to watch a historic event; the death of the Five, the death of Shifu, and most importantly, the death of Kung Fu. However, something had caught the tiger's eye. A figure was standing on the roof of one of the remaining buildings, Po Ping. A sense of hope filled Tigress as she called out to him, "Po, help!"_

 _Po coldly stared but made no move to help her. His formerly Jade green eyes were gone, replaced by a malevolent blood red._

 _The executioner hoisted up the blade. Tigress pleaded to Po with her eyes, 'Please, help us! Help me!'_

 _The blade dropped, a gasp cut through the air, Po smirked._

 _"Good Riddance," he sneered._

 ** _*vision end*_**

After the vision ended, the normally elegant turtle master came crashing down off his staff.

Breathing hard, Oogway's eyes widened at what he had just witnessed.

He shook his head and muttered to himself sadly, "After all that he's lost and all that he has done, there is more pain and grief in his future than ever before."

In that moment, Oogway then showed an emotion that he had not in an eternity, anger.

"Why? Why must you continue to make him suffer? He has done nothing but good! What has he done to deserve such an abysmal life?" he cursed at the universe.

Immediately calming down, the turtle sighed. He already knew why.

While he had invented Kung Fu, there were many criminals before him and many fighting styles more ancient than Kung Fu. Po may have been the first Dragon Warrior of the last several hundred years, but he was definitely not the only one.

Over the centuries, there have been a dozen or so warriors who possessed the qualities that the universe deemed worthy of the mantle. And not just in China, but all over the world. The Dragon Scroll was said to have been created by the original warrior of legend; from the finest gold and silks in the land, forged in the heart of a volcano and enchanted by sorcerers. It was then passed on. Once the current warrior's time was finished, the scroll would disappear, only for it to appear in the region of the next.

Every Dragon Warrior in history was bestowed the same curse that came with the title; a life of misery and solitude; and every Dragon Warrior in history ended up going insane and dying a pre-mature death or worse, turn evil. Oogway could recall the last Dragon Warrior as if it was yesterday.

 ** _*Flashback*_**

 _The famed warrior had been a panther in his late thirties. It was several hundred years ago. Oogway was running down the street of The Valley of Virtue. He was a boy; curious, playful, and troublesome._

 _"Haha!" young Oogway chortled as he ran with his kite through the busy streets, bumping into countless people._

 _"Hey, watch it!" exclaimed a pig merchant._

 _"Oops, sorry," apologized Oogway._

 _He then ran in front of a rickshaw driver, "Out of the way!" he fumed._

 _"Sorry!"_

 _Oogway continued to bump into people._

 _"My dress!"_

 _"Sorry!"_

 _"Scram punk."_

 _"Sorry!"_

 _"I hate kids!"_

 _"Sorry!"_

 _Eventually, the young turtle tripped on a rock and his kite floated off into the sky._

 _Oogway looked crestfallen, "Oh man! That was my favorite kite!"_

 _Suddenly, a carriage zipped around a building corner and was heading straight towards him._

 _"Hey! Watch out kid!" hollered the driver._

 _Oogway looked up and closed his eyes, bracing for impact. It never came. He opened his eyes to see a muscular panther that had stopped the charging carriage. The cat picked up the young turtle and turned towards the driver._

 _He gruffly apologized, "Sorry for the inconvenience."_

 _"It's fine. I'm just glad the kid is alright," the driver jested and then continued on his way._

 _Once the carriage was out of sight the panther set Oogway down._

 _He looked down at him frowning. Oogway just put on an innocent smile on his childish face._

 _The rescuer sighed, "It's dangerous to stand and run around in the middle of a busy street," he chastised._

 _"I'm sorry. It won't happen again, especially since I just lost my kite," the turtle replied glumly._

 _"What's your name?" the feline questioned._

 _"Oogway, and yours?"_

 _The cat hesitated, "Raphael, my name's Raphael."_

 _"Can I call you Raph?"_

 _"No."_

 _Oogway smiled, "I'm gonna call you Raph."_

 _Raph shook his head, fighting a smile, "Come on, I'll buy you a new kite."_

 _The two ended up buying a new kite and spending the rest of the day together._

 _As they watched the stars, Oogway voiced a question,_

 _"What do you do for a living?"_

 _Raph laughed, "Besides rescue little troublesome turtles?"_

 _Oogway punched him in the side._

 _"Ow!"_

 _"Wrong answer," the turtle huffed._

 _"I fight bad guys," Raph answered._

 _"Are you the Dragon Warrior?"_

 _The cat looked over in shock, "How'd you find out?"_

 _Oogway rolled his eyes, "I'm a kid, not stupid."_

 _"Well, yeah I am," he replied._

 _"That's so cool! You get to kick butt and people cheer for you! I want to be the Dragon Warrior when I grow up!" Oogway gushed._

 _Raph smiled sadly, "Kid, let me tell you something. This title ain't a gift. It's a burden."_

 _"Why?"_

 _The panther looked off into the distance, "Let's just say this." He then looked Oogway in the eyes, "You either die a hero, or you live just long enough to see yourself become a villain."_

 _Oogway's eyes widened, "But you're so good. You'll never turn evil!"_

 _The feline looked away in silence._

 _"Promise me you'll never turn bad! Pinky promise!" Oogway urged, holding up his pinky._

 _Raph smiled with tears in his eyes and intertwined his pinky with Oogway's, "I promise, kid."_

 _A couple months later, news came out. After several showings of erratic behavior, the Dragon Warrior seemed to be following in his predecessor's footsteps. He even injured one of his teammates out of anger. But Raph, did something that none of the other Dragon Warriors before had the guts to do._

 _That night Raph entered his room, shut, and locked the doors. Knife in hand he had a steely resolve and he was going to keep his word. As he moved the blade up to his neck, a tear rolled down the side of his cheek. Seconds later his body tumbled to the floor._

 _His last words were, "I promise, kid."_

 ** _*Flashback End*_**

Oogway learned from his encounter with the last Dragon Warrior that only a chosen few can handle the strain that the mantle brings. He knew this at the time of the ceremony, and it was yet another reason the universe had chosen Po. None of the Five were pure or good-natured enough to handle the curse.

The panda genocide at the hands of that wretched peacock was just the first of many unfortunate events that would plague Po's life. Years of bullying and abuse during his childhood by the other kids of the valley followed. It was the universe's way of testing him, to see if he was worthy of the title. Like Oogway had said. It was no accident, it was destiny.

The turtle master broke out of his thoughts with only one goal on his mind; he had to warn Po. As he picked up his staff, he began to mumble incoherent words when a golden aura began to surround him.

"What are you doing?" a gruff voice cut through the air.

"Warning the Dragon Warrior of his impending doom," Oogway explained not missing a beat.

"Master, if I may," the voice continued.

Oogway cut him off, "No, you may not,"

"But, he's going to need all the help he can get!"

"Your time is yet to come," the creator of Kung Fu responded in finality.

Seemingly the end of their argument, Oogway continued to concentrate on his incantation.

The figure sighed, "I hope that fat panda knows what he's doing."

* * *

 **A/N: Finished with Chapter 1. Hope you guys enjoyed. Remember to pay me any feedback if you want. Any ideas and tips from reviews are not only welcome but endorsed. Anyways, have a good one until next time.**

 **Frost2001 Out.**


	3. Chapter 2: After Kai

**A/N: What's up? I'm back again. We've made a huge jump from around 1600 words last chapter to a whopping...5200 words! Pretty crazy right? I'm hoping chapters will progress even more in the future.**

 **Anyways this chapter isn't all too exciting...compared to some other chapters that are planned for the future. But I didn't make it too boring for you guys...hopefully.**

 **Anyways, on to the story!**

 **Read & Enjoy**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Dream Works or Kung Fu Panda. I only own this specific plot and my OCs.**

* * *

 _The Valley of Peace_

There is nothing but tranquility and silence in the darkness, half an hour before dawn. It is a time where the nocturnal creatures begin their slumber and the diurnal still dream.

The Valley of Peace is no exception.

The streets, usually bustling with activity are as empty as country lanes. Mr. Ping's noodle shop, one of the most occupied places in the Valley of Peace is devoid of life, besides the muted snores coming from Mr. Ping himself inside the shop.

Looking over the Valley of Peace, high above it stood The Jade Palace. Soon after it's destruction, it had taken several months and many workers, but it looked as good as new. Thankfully, almost all the scrolls had been recovered and pieced back together.

All the masters were asleep and having pleasant dreams just like everyone else in the valley. Not a single being in the valley was conscious, except one.

* * *

Miles away from the palace, a figure is meditating on a rock pillar in the middle of The Pool of Sacred Tears. Po Ping, a panda in his early twenties and the well renowned Dragon Warrior.

"Inner Peace, Inner Peace" Po hummed inaudibly. Po shivered slightly as a cold breeze whipped against him.

'Winter must be coming a little early this year,' Po mused.

After the defeat of Kai, Po had grown into a more focused and mature warrior, while still retaining his childish habits and behavior. Every morning Po would wake up before the gong to meditate or train.

The combination of the intense training and his reduced diet was cutting away his excess weight. It was a slow process, but he had begun to lose some of his fat and gain more muscle. Both of his fathers were appalled when they found out; claiming it was unhealthy and bad for him. Honestly, Po had never felt more fit in his life.

He was always found in the training hall, at the peach tree, or at the dragon grotto. Rarely did Po ever venture to the Pool of Sacred Tears. This change in behavior seemed shocking at first, but the five and Master Shifu soon grew accustomed to it.

'This is so nice,' Po thought. 'Peace and quiet, no Monkey playing pranks, no Mantis with his crude jokes, no Crane constantly correcting me, no Viper and her over-protectiveness, no Shifu and his confusing wisdom talk, and no Tigress scolding me.' After his mental rant, Po calmed himself and returned his focus to meditation.

By the time Po had finished, the sun had risen. Its golden rays touched the mountain and reflected off the Sacred Pool of Tears leaving quite a stunning view for the panda. 'Wow! I can't believe I used to miss the sun rise, it's so beautiful. Almost as beautiful as Tigress's-' Po's thought train came to a crashing halt.

"Whoa buddy! Calm down!" he chided himself.

Truthfully, he has had a crush on Tigress since he first saw her and the five defeated Boar. However, he knew she did not like him in that way. She had pretty much confirmed it a few weeks before the Kai incident.

 ** _Flashback_**

 _Shifu had been prepping them for a mission._

" _Two Crocodile bandits have stolen the Gem of Wu Fang."_

 _Po's eyes widened, "Whoa! What does it do? Does it give the power of infinite knowledge?"_

 _Shifu sighed, "No."_

" _Does it make you invisible?"_

" _No."_

" _Does it make you fly?"_

" _No."_

" _Super strength?"_

" _No."_

" _Invincibility?"_

" _No."_

" _Teleportation?"_

" _No."_

" _Eating really fast?"_

 _Shifu looked indignant, "That isn't even a power!"_

 _Tigress had been watching their conversation like a ping pong match and finally decided to step in, "Po! It's just a very valuable gem, it has no supernatural power," she rebuked._

 _Po deflated, "Oh."_

 _Shifu nodded, "Tigress is correct. Now pack quickly, and head out as soon as you can."_

 _Po nodded and swiftly exited the hall of heroes._

 _Tigress was about to take her leave as well but was stopped by the Grandmaster, "Tigress, a word please?"_

 _The tiger master spun around. "Yes master?" she replied._

" _What are your thoughts on the Dragon Warrior?"_

 _Confused as to where this was going, Tigress answered candidly, "Well, he's made remarkable progress in his time here. He's only been exposed to Kung Fu for about two years, and he's managed to surpass masters who have dedicated their lives to the art."_

" _My thoughts as well, he has an uncanny natural ability," Shifu responded, before adding, "And what do you think of him personally?"_

 _Tigress hesitated before compliments came rolling off her tongue, "He's humble, kind, funny, caring, always tries to cheer everyone up, he can be annoying at times, but he always lends a shoulder to lean on and he's a great friend."_

 _Shifu smiled, "Anything else? Just a friend?" he asked innocently._

" _What are you implying?" Tigress demanded._

" _I'm not implying anything Tigress. I was just curious. Even though I haven't done a very good job at it, I'm still your father." Shifu replied calmly, making his way towards the doors._

" _And, I'm not getting any younger," he pointed out before exiting._

 _Tigress stood there unmoving with a small blush forming from what her master; her father had hinted._

* * *

 _Once Po had finished packing, he met Tigress at the top of the one thousand steps._

" _Good luck on your journey," a voice said from behind them._

 _Po and Tigress turned around to see Shifu standing their staff in hand._

 _Tigress bowed, "We won't fail you master."_

 _She was avoiding eye contact in slight embarrassment from their earlier chat._

 _Shifu gave a faint smile, "I have every confidence in both of you."_

 _Oblivious to Tigress's discomfort, Po grinned, "Don't worry Master Shifu, we'll find those bandits and give them a hot serving of justice!"_

 _While saying this, Po had not realized he was backing up with each word until it was too late._

 _Po fell back and was sent tumbling down the stairs, "AH!"_

 _Tigress's eyes widened as she rushed after him, "Po!"_

 _Shifu just chuckled to himself and left to go meditate._

* * *

 _After Po had convinced Tigress that he had not hurt anything on his way down the stairs, they made their way over to Mr. Ping's Shop._

 _Po entered to see his Dad serving customers at their tables._

" _Hey Dad!" he exclaimed._

 _Mr. Ping looked up and smiled, "Oh! Po! Come in! Come in!"_

 _The goose dragged him towards the kitchen._

 _Po looked over to Tigress, who was hiding a grin._

" _I'll wait here," she assured him._

 _As Mr. Ping dragged his son into the kitchen, he bombarded him with questions._

" _How are you?"_

" _Have you lost weight?"_

" _How are the other masters?"_

" _When are you going to ask out Tigress?"_

 _The last question caused Po's face to burn red._

" _Dad, we're just friends!" the panda said in a hushed tone, looking over his shoulder to make sure Tigress was not listening to their conversation._

" _Oh, well just remember, Po, I want grandchildren, and I'm not getting any younger!" the noodle maker chuckled._

' **That's easier said than done grandpa. What do you want us to do? Walk up to her and ask if she wants to bang?'** _the voice in Po's head remarked sarcastically._

" _Not helping," Po muttered to the voice._

 _Composing himself, he opened the kitchen door._

" _Look Dad, I really have to go. Tigress and I need to leave town to go recover some stolen artifact. I just wanted to let you know," Po told his father._

 _Mr. Ping huffed, "Oh, okay. Just be safe and don't eat any strange noodles!"_

" _Yeah, okay Dad, see you in a few days," Po sighed before exiting the shop._

 _The Dragon Warrior returned to see Tigress waiting with an unreadable expression._

" _Ready?" she asked._

" _Yeah, let's go," Po said, seemingly distracted._

 _The feline noticed this instantly, but decided to let it slide._

 _As they made their way out of the valley on a road that passed through the woods, Po was uncharacteristically quiet. While he had gotten exceedingly better at keeping silent, Tigress was disturbed by his current lack of loquacity._

 _Deciding to break the silence, Tigress questioned, "What were you and your father talking about?"_

" _Nothing important," Po replied a little too quickly._

 _Tigress's curiosity was now piqued, "Try me."_

" _Just uh, Noodles," Po lied through his teeth._

" _Oh," Tigress said disappointed. She knew he was lying, but she was not going to pry._

" _So where are we headed?" Po asked, trying to change the subject._

 _Tigress looked over, "Han Kun City; the bandits were on their way there according to the report. It's about a day's journey from here."_

 _Po smirked, "Well then, why are we moving at such a snail's pace?" he teased before taking off down the path._

 _Tigress was left surprised for a couple seconds before grinning, "Okay panda, you're on."_

 _She became an orange blur as she zipped after him._

* * *

 _Once they made it to Han Kun City, Po and Tigress began to ask around for info on the bandit's whereabouts._

 _After hours of searching, the Kung Fu masters got a lucky break. They were visiting a small pub on the border of the city. It was not the most luxurious tavern, but it had a warm atmosphere and was fairly popular._

 _Po and Tigress had stopped there to take a break from their search, when the bartender identified the two crocs from their sketch. She was an attractive young lynx about their age._

" _I would recognize those two buffoons anywhere. They've been coming in the past couple nights and getting drunk. It's bad for business," she fumed._

" _Any way of knowing when they might return?" Tigress questioned._

 _The other feline shrugged, "They'll probably be back tonight."_

" _Don't worry, we'll get them out of your hair," Po reassured her confidently._

" _Thank you," The lynx said sweetly before giving Po a quick one-over and smiling._

 _Po being himself was oblivious to the lynx's action and smiled back at her. However, a certain tiger did notice what the lynx had done._

 _Tigress straining to cover up a growl replied, "Good, we'll just stakeout here until they arrive."_

 _She then started dragging Po, who was still looking at the bartender in a daze, to a table in the corner. The lynx just giggled and waved, before getting back to work._

 _Tigress grimaced in annoyance, 'She was looking at him like a piece of meat.'_

 _Her thoughts came to a pause, 'Why is it my business?'_

' _I just want the best for my friend. He can do so much better than that bartender,' the tiger master told herself._

* * *

 _Hours later, the two thugs came into the bar as predicted. Tension in the air was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Other people began to clear out, in anticipation of what was about to happen._

" _Where's the service!" one of the crocs yelled, slamming his fist down on the counter._

 _The bartender came over before setting a bottle of whiskey down in front of them._

 _They began taking shots of the alcohol._

" _Hey sweets, why don't we go have some fun?" one of the crocs slurred drunkenly towards the lynx._

 _The feline in question visibly gagged, "Ew! Not in your dreams, bastard!"_

 _Now angry, the bandit threatened, "I wasn't asking for permission, fur ball!"_

 _Having seen enough, Po got up from his seat, "Enough! I'm the Dragon Warrior and this is Master Tigress. We are here on behalf of the Jade Palace, and you guys better give up the jewel, or you're gonna feel the thunder!"_

 _The bandits were quiet for a second before they busted out laughing, "What are you gonna do tubby; sit on us?" one of them snickered._

 _Slightly peeved, Po responded, "I'm not that fat! I'm just fluffy!"_

 _While he argued with them, Tigress took advantage of the bandits' distracted state and leapt forward, delivering a high-kick to one of the croc's heads, sending him flying over the bartender who had ducked under the counter. He smashed through the window and landed out in the street, unconscious._

 _The other stopped laughing and snarled. He began to pull his sword out, but before he could fully unsheathe it, his tail was grabbed by Po, and he was subsequently flipped and smashed onto one of the bar tables. Po dusted his hands off before picking up the gem from the unmoving bandit's pouch._

 _He grinned, "Well that was easy."_

 _Tigress's face twitched slightly trying not smile._

" _Just stay here," she told him, before leaving to find the criminal that was out in the street._

 _After she left, the lynx's head peaked out from under the counter._

" _All clear?" she joked._

 _Turning to the lynx, Po apologized, "Sorry about the mess."_

 _The feline just laughed, "I've seen worse."_

" _I still feel bad," the panda responded a bit ruefully._

 _She hopped over the counter smiling, and handed him a piece of paper, "Tell you what, give me an autograph and we'll call it even."_

" _Sounds fair," Po agreed, before signing his name and handing it back._

 _Ripping part of the paper off, the lynx then wrote down something before giving it to the bear._

" _Here's my name and address if you ever want to stop by," she winked, before leaving to the storage room at the back of the bar for a replacement table._

' **Oh, hell yeah!'** _cheered the voice in Po's head._

 _Tigress, who had seen the interaction between the two after tying up the bandits, frowned. Swiftly, she walked over to Po and snatched the paper from his hands._

" _Come on, we have to head out," she asserted walking towards the exit, but not before tearing the piece of paper to shreds and throwing it in a waste bin._

" **What the fuck!"** _the voice shrieked._

 _The tiger then made her way out of the bar and down the road. Po tried to ignore the voice as it ranted in fury over Tigress's actions, as he quickly chased after her._

" _Hey! She seemed nice. What if I just happened to be close by, and she wanted to talk?" Po protested._

 _Tigress scoffed, "Please, talking was the last thing on her mind."_

 _Po decided to just shut up, in order to not irritate his friend further._

* * *

 _It was almost midnight as the two arrived in a small village._

" _We'll have to spend the night here," Tigress stated as she pointed at the small inn._

" _Fine by me, as long as they serve breakfast," Po replied eagerly._

 _They entered to see a small goat lady behind the counter._

 _The inn was not anything special. The paint on the walls was pealing. The place looked like it needed a good dusting, and it smelled like mildew._

 _Po mentally shrugged, 'I've been in worse.'_

 _Tigress made her way over to the counter, "Let's check in."_

" _Yeah, good idea," Po agreed and followed her until something caught his attention._

 _His eyes widened as he saw a machine across the room in the corner. It was a simple design consisting of a glass jug on top of a steel box with a tube running from the jug to a faucet; which was activated by a lever._

" _Whoa! A water dispenser! This is so cool!" Po exclaimed as he ran over to it and filled up one of the disposable cups. A stream of water came from the machine as bubbles emerged; floating to the top of the transparent jug. Fascinated, Po continued to toy with the machine._

 _Meanwhile, Tigress set a sack of yin down on the counter, "We'd like a room please."_

 _She looked behind her, only to find that Po had disappeared. After a quick glance around the room, she noticed Po playing with a contraption in the back. Rolling her eyes, she brought her focus back to the attendant._

 _The goat lady smiled, "Oh, of course. Would you like the couples' suite?"_

 _Tigress blinked in surprise, "No, um, just the regular."_

" _Are you sure?"_

" _Yes! We're just friends; not a couple." Tigress insisted._

" _Tigress come look at this, it's so cool!"_

 _She ignored him._

 _The goat lady looked unconvinced, "Well okay, but don't blame me if one of the maids walks in, if you two are busy."_

 _Tigress's face turned beet red. The goat lady handed Tigress the key, which she snatched and hurried away towards the stairs._

 _Tigress grumbled, "Come on Po!"_

 _Po looked up, "Yeah. Coming," and followed her to the room._

* * *

 _Entering the room, it was cramped but tidy. An antique oil lamp stood in the corner dimly lighting up the area. A wooden dresser and a work desk took up one wall, while a small bathroom took up the other. In the middle of the room was a shabby bed. Big enough to fit one, maybe two if both sacrificed their personal space._

 _Ever the gentleman, Po let Tigress have the bathroom first._

 _As the sounds of the water began, Po tried not to let his imagination wander too much. It was not easy, especially with that annoying voice in his head._

' **Just imagine,'** _the voice taunted._

" _Stop," Po groaned._

' **Her legs'**

" _No."_

' **Her back'**

" _Quit it."_

' **Her assets,"** _the voice continued._

" _Shut up!" Po roared as he began banging his head against the wall._

" _Are you okay?" a voice asked bemusedly._

 _Recognizing the voice, Po spun around to see a bewildered Tigress with nothing but a towel wrapped around her. He had been so distracted by the quarrel with the voice in his head that he had not heard the cease of the shower._

' **We would be if you took off the towel,'** _the voice quipped._

" _Yeah! Everything's fine," Po stuttered._

" _Okay, well the shower is all yours," she notified. Tigress then walked past him over to her duffel bag. Her back to the panda, she bent over to get something out of it; not noticing her towel ride up. Po whose gaze had been fixed on her behind, pried his eyes away with a blush._

 _The voice scoffed,_ **'I swear she's doing it on purpose!'**

 _Po quickly left to the bathroom and shut the door._

 _After a long, **cold** shower, he exited the bathroom in his sleep wear. He saw Tigress's form in the bed. Carefully taking one of the pillows off the bed, Po began to lie down on the floor._

" _Po, what are you doing?" Tigress asked, slightly vexed._

 _Po unsure of what he had done wrong, answered "Going to sleep?"_

 _Tigress sighed in exasperation, "On the floor?"_

" _Yeah, where else would I sleep?" Po stated obliviously._

 _Tigress would have face palmed if she wasn't so tired. "I don't know, maybe on the bed!"_

" _But you're on the bed," Po argued._

" _I don't have the energy to argue over this Po, get on the bed!" Tigress commanded._

 _Po paused and thought about his options. Either, he agreed and just did as Tigress asked, or continue to argue with her until she gave up or mauled him._

 _Po sighed, "Fine," and got into the bed._

 _He turned to look at her, "Are you sure you're okay with this?"_

 _Tigress, whose patience had come to an end out of sheer exhaustion, snapped at him, "Of course I'm fine with this! We're just sharing a bed! Two friends sharing a bed! Get over it!" she then turned her back to him and thirty minutes later, she was asleep._

 _However, Po couldn't sleep as he contemplated what Tigress had said. I mean, how would you feel if you virtual lifelong crush had just stomped on your dreams?_

' **Hahahahaha! You just got friend-zoned!'** _the voice cackled loudly._

 _Po was too dejected to even reply to the voice's comment._

" _Two…friends," Po murmured tiredly as he eventually succumbed to the darkness of sleep._

 ** _End of Flashback_**

Po had come to accept that Tigress would never see him as a love interest, which did not surprise him. She was way out of his league and he had grown to acknowledge that.

' **Is she really that unreachable?'** Red asked.

After conversing with the voice for so long, Po had eventually given it a name, Red; per the voice's request.

"Yeah! She's like up here," Po points to the sky, "And I'm like down there," Po points to the water thirty feet below.

'I'd rather have her in my life as a friend, than ruin our friendship,' Po thought adamantly.

' **Whatever you need to tell yourself,'** Red snickered.

Po was brought out of his reminiscing by the morning gong. "Goooooong!"

"Oh, shoot! I'm gonna be late to my own class!" Po babbled to himself.

Po tried to get up quickly, but he lost his footing and slipped off the top of the rock into the cold water below, but not before hitting multiple parts of the rock pillar on his way down.

"OW!"

"OH! THAT HURTS!"

"Oohohohoho! My tenders!"

* * *

"Goooooong!"

The Furious Five exited their rooms quickly and professionally.

They bowed and greeted in unison, "Good morning master."

Shifu stood before them, "Good morning students. You will be doing you usual training regime today. Po will be your instructor. If you have any specific questions you can come find me. Eat your breakfast then head to the training hall."

Shifu then made his leave. The five headed towards the kitchen to eat their breakfast, only to find the kitchen deserted.

Mantis raised an eyebrow, "Hey, where's the big guy?"

"I don't know. You can typically count on Po to be in the kitchen every morning," Monkey joked.

Viper immediately grew concerned, "Should we go look for him?"

"I'm sure he's fine. We should probably eat up and get to the training hall," Crane reasoned.

The others seemed unsure of what to do. While they knew Po could take care of himself, there was always the off chance that he had gotten into trouble.

Tigress nodded, "Crane's right. We need to eat quickly and head to the training hall. Po is probably already down there."

The others finally agreed, before monkey voiced a question everyone had been thinking, "So who's going to cook?"

"I will," Tigress answered confidently, before heading into the kitchen.

The others looked at each other in fear.

"Fantastic!" Mantis groaned sarcastically. The masters then joined Tigress in the kitchen.

* * *

On their way to training, the warriors did not fail to voice their displeasure over Po's absence.

Mantis made a gagging face, "How did we ever live without Po's cooking before?"

Viper tried to smile, though it looked more like a grimace, "It wasn't that bad Mantis."

Crane cut her off, "I'm afraid I have to agree with Mantis on this one Viper, Tofu doesn't agree with my stomach," he said rubbing his belly.

Monkey looked sick, "Please don't say the T word, even the sound of it makes me nauseous," he pleaded.

Meanwhile, Tigress was walking behind them fuming about their comments.

She scowled at them, "Will you all stop complaining! Tofu is food. Food is energy. If Po was here he wouldn't be complaining as half as much as you guys are!" she pushed past them and stopped right in front of the doors to the training hall, crossing her arms glaring at them.

Mantis snarkily replied, "Well yeah, but that isn't saying much! He basically worships the ground you walk upon. If **_you_** gave him a plate of dirt he would eat it without a complaint. Though honestly, it might be better than your tofu."

Everything was silent for a moment. Crane and Viper's mouths fell wide open at Mantis's audacity. Monkey was covering his mouth, trying in vain not to laugh. Mantis stood there while his brain processed what his big mouth had spewed out, and he realized what he had just said; to Master Tigress of all people. Tigress was silent and had a blank look on her face. He paled in fear.

"Listen, I-I-I'm just grumpy and I didn't m-mean it I-I totally love your f-food," Mantis stammered, trying to dig himself out of the huge hole he had gotten himself into.

Monkey cringed, "This isn't going to be pretty," and covered his eyes.

"Oh, dear," Crane sighed as he used his wing to cover his and Viper's vision from a certainly gruesome scene.

Tigress's blank stare had turned into the most chilling snarl he had ever seen.

Mantis accepted his fate, "Just make it quick," he mumbled.

Tigress's snarl curled into an even creepier sneer, "Any last words?"

Mantis glanced up and looked over her shoulder and a relieved grin emerged upon his face, "Thank you god!" he exhaled.

Tigress's sneer changed to a confused frown, before reverting back to the former. As she was about to bring her fist down upon the bug, a strong grip seized her wrist. And to her surprise she could not over power the restrainer.

"I hope you weren't planning to severely injure one of your teammates, Master Tigress," a voice calmly teased from behind her. As the grip released her, she whirled around and came face to face with the bear who had been the subject of her and Mantis's argument, Po. The others slowly opened their eyes, mostly relieved to see that Mantis had not been turned into a pancake. They soon all bowed in respect.

Po shook his head, "How many times do I have to tell you guys, that you don't have to bow, I respect you all way too much for that," he reassured them.

Po opened up the training hall doors, "Let's begin training for today," and he entered the building.

The others soon followed, leaving Tigress standing there trying to get rid of the blush that had spread across her face, when Po had caught her (literally) in the act of misconduct. 'If Shifu had caught me, I'd be running laps for a week,' she mused. She looked at her arm; it was still tingly where he had grabbed her. She shook off the feeling, composed herself, and joined the others for the days training.

* * *

Po in a meditation stance, watched proudly as the five excelled at their stations. Monkey was currently flipping and swinging nimbly through the Talon Rings. Mantis zipped and darted around the Wooden Warriors, nearly invisible to the naked eye. Viper was lithe and graceful as ever, avoiding flames easily on the Field of Fiery Death. Crane looked sharp as well while balancing on the Jade Tortoise, deflecting arrows with his characteristics of poise and precision. Finally, Tigress, the epitome of focus and ferocity, was making the Swinging Clubs of Instant Oblivion look like a cake walk.

Calming himself, Po closed his eyes and entered his inner peace state.

"Whenever you guys are ready," he remarked.

The instant the words had left Po's mouth, all five of the warriors abandoned their stations and launched an assault at him. Monkey reached him first and let loose a punch. Po easily deflected it and leg-swept the primate.

Turning his focus to an incoming serpent, Po avoided her lunge and grabbed her by the tail. Using her like a whip, he swatted Mantis out of the air and swiftly cast her at Monkey, who had just gotten up from the ground. Viper tangled around the golden furred master, immobilizing him long enough for Po to execute a push kick, sending both masters flying and landing in a heap.

Out of the corner of his eye, the Dragon Warrior saw Tigress and Crane charging at him from opposite sides. Feigning obliviousness to the feline's incoming attack, Po turned to face Crane. Although he had his back to her, the panda could sense her getting closer. Once the avian master, came within a meter of him, Po performed a spiraling back flip, above an unsuspecting Tigress.

"Wham!" The bird and tiger slammed into each other in a painful collision.

Po landed in a ready position, not having broken a sweat. Tigress quickly got up and raced toward him, but Crane took somewhat longer, not quite as resilient as the tiger master.

Immediately, the two masters began to trade a combination of blows. Po threw a couple jabs and a hook, only for Tigress to deflect his efforts and start her counter-attack. Their figures were a blur as they continued to fight.

The others had long since recovered and were just observing the battle, not bothering to join. Po decided that continuing to attack Tigress head-on was useless, so he decided to play defensive and wear her out. Every punch she threw, every kick she made, Po deflected with relative ease. As the fight wore on, Tigress began to tire and her movements became sluggish. Realizing that she would have to end this quickly, the feline warrior formed a plan.

Tigress internally grimaced, 'It's rotten, but all's fair in war,' she thought. Then she put her plan into action.

"Ouch!" Tigress yelled in fake pain as she grabbed her left shoulder.

Po stopped fighting and let his guard down for a split-second, "Are you okay?" he fretted.

Tigress felt guilty about taking advantage of Po like this, it almost made her not go through with her plan; almost.

"Yep," Tigress revealed, and then swinging her leg forcefully, she kicked Po in between the legs.

His eyes widened in agony, "My tenders," he squeaked before falling over.

Viper bit her lip not sure whether she was amused or worried. The three other guys in the room winced, almost as if they felt his pain too.

A few minutes passed before Po could form a functional sentence.

"What was that for?" he squeaked.

Tigress smirked down at him, "Warriors should never hesitate in battle; against any enemy."

Monkey and Mantis burst out laughing as they rolled around on the floor. Crane shook his head in slight amusement and a small grin began to form on Viper's face.

Po struggled to stand, "Yeah, no kidding."

After taking a few deep breaths Po continued, "I think that's enough training for today guys."

It was well past noon as the warriors exited the hall. A cold breeze greeted them as they opened the double doors, but it was not the only thing that greeted them. Zeng came flapping in quickly.

He landed panting, "Masters, there is someone at the front gate, he specifically asked for you Master Tigress."

Confusion was written all over Tigress's face. She had not been expecting anyone, nor had she ever.

"Who is it?" Tigress queried.

"He says his name is Saber."

Tigress's eyes widened.

Po curiously inquired, "Who's Saber?"

Before Zeng could answer, Tigress rushed off.

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you all enjoyed! Sorry for leaving you guys on a cliff hanger. I'm just evil like that. Hopefully it'll spark your interest for next chapter...maybe?**

 **As always, I enjoy feedback of any kind. Writing tips, plot suggestions, questions, and also criticism (as long as you aren't cussing me out or something... I probably wouldn't appreciate that too much...lol)**

 **Have a chill day and I'll catch you later.**

 **Frost2001 Out.**


	4. Chapter 3: An Old Friend

**Author note: Sorry for not updating in a while. I've been quite busy, and now that school has started again the updates will probably be slower. However, I want to give you guys good content, so while my updates may be less frequent, I will try my best to make the chapters higher in content and quality.**

 **Like always, on to the story!**

 **Read & Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Dream Works or Kung Fu Panda. I only own this specific plot and my OCs.**

* * *

 **Chapter 3: An Old Friend**

"Hey Tigress! Wait!" Po called after her, but she was gone.

 **'I don't like this! This has bad news written all over it!'** the voice warned.

He looked at the others, "Come on," and they all took off towards the front gate after Tigress.

Zeng just stood there and shrugged, "Guess I'll just go tell Shifu then," he spoke to no one in particular.

* * *

As the remaining members of the five and Po were running, questions were flying through his head.

'Who is Saber?'

'What's he doing here?'

'How does Tigress know him?'

'Maybe he's a family member or an old friend?'

However, as far as Po could tell, Tigress did not have any connections with her family, and this **_Saber_** was never mentioned in any of their conversations.

Turning the corner, he and the five were left dumbfounded. All their jaws hit the ground in response to what they were witnessing. Something so inconceivable, that Oogway himself could not have foreseen.

 **'Well buddy, you better decide where you stand with Tigress quickly. Cause it just got a whole lot more complicated,'** Red broke in.

Right before them stood Tigress hugging another tiger, both their tails tangled, with the biggest smile Po had ever seen across her usually stoic face. This tiger was fairly big, maybe Po's height or a fraction of an inch taller. He was Siberian. Covered in glossy black and white striped fur, he was shirtless and wore a pair of red training pants with a gold trim. Sporting a good build, a pair of fiery orange eyes, and a stunning white smile; he was almost certainly a hit with the ladies. Around his neck, he wore a simple string necklace with a Yin symbol hanging from it.

The silence was finally broken.

"Ahem," Mantis cleared his throat.

The two felines jumped apart in shock.

Unfortunately, to their embarrassment and to Po's displeasure, their tails were tangled, and it made their separation much harder. Once untangled, Tigress began to brush herself off, trying to hide the blush that was spreading across her features. After composing herself, she brought him over to the others.

"Guys, do you remember Saber? It's been a while since you all have seen him," she stated, finally gaining back her cool persona.

The tiger rubbed the back of his head awkwardly, before putting on a smile and bowing, "It's a pleasure to see you guys again."

Putting a finger to his chin, he gave a thoughtful look, before addressing them by name.

"You're Viper,"

"Yep," the snake master said bubbly.

Continuing on, he walked up to the tall slender avian.

"Crane?"

"Correct," the avian nodded.

The next master was the golden langur.

Saber smiled, "Monkey, right?"

"Yeah," the primate replied.

Mantis was the last of the five to greet the newcomer. Before the tiger had a chance to speak, Mantis spoke up, "The name's Mantis. I'm sure you've already reacquainted yourself with Tigress," he teased.

Monkey chuckled a little, before getting elbowed by Crane.

Saber laughed, slightly embarrassed. Tigress growled taking a step towards Mantis, only to be stopped by a voice.

"That's enough," the authoritative voice came from the panda of the group.

Po stepped forward to greet the visitor.

Saber turned to Po, his smile gaining a slight look of confusion, "I'm sorry, who are you?"

 **'Who is he? Here's the better question, who the hell are you?'**

Po mentally hushed the voice before responding, "I'm the Dragon Warrior, but you can call me Po. It's nice to meet you."

Saber looked at him and blinked before chuckling, "That's a good one."

 **'I'm starting to like this guy less and less,'** Red grumbled in irritation. Po silently agreed.

The Five were about to cut in, but Po waved them off. Saber looked back at Po to see the panda had just raised an eye-brow at him.

"Oh! You're serious?" the tiger said disbelievingly.

"Yeah, is that a problem?" Po replied evenly, though his patience was running low.

"No, definitely not a problem. I just assumed that someone like yourself would be less of a fighting man. You're awfully…large," Saber said bluntly. That did not go down well with the panda. While he was used to people poking fun at his weight, there were two reasons that this spurred his annoyance. One, he had begun to lose some weight, and he thought he was past the fat jokes.

'Apparently not,' Po inwardly scowled.

Two, this guy was not saying it in a harsh or patronizing way. He was just being honest, even being rather tactful about it. In some way, this bothered Po way more than if someone was purposely trying to degrade him.

The other masters, who had all been watching the spectacle, reacted differently to the tiger's jest.

Crane winced in unease, while Viper watched the two black and white warriors intently.

Tigress remained passive as always. Monkey and Mantis looked at each other in anticipation.

Po was giving an extreme effort to keep the smile on his face at this point.

Red was livid, **'Oh! We have a comedian! Well, let's see how funny you are when I string you up by your-'**

Po blocked out Red and continued, "Yeah, I get that a lot."

Po looked up to see the sun glaring down from the highest point of the day. It had dissipated any clouds in the clear sky. The time was roughly two in the afternoon.

"It's so good to see you again. We have to talk about all that I've missed," Saber said excitedly. The five smiled and began a conversation with their long lost friend. Po with uncharacteristic promptness cut off their talk.

"We better take you to see Master Shifu," Po concluded, before turning and motioning Saber and the others to follow him up the stairs. The panda grimaced as Saber started talking again.

* * *

A figure stood in the middle of the bustling crowds of the valley, watching the retreating masters and their new acquaintance through his spyglass. Smirking, the being turned around to leave, only to bump into a pig carrying a crate. Carrots and beets spilled out of the broken crate.

"Hey idiot, watch where you're going!" barked the merchant. Next thing the pig knew he was hoisted up off the ground by the throat. Menacing eyes, black as night, met his, as the frightened trader stared into the darkness of its hood.

"I'd watch my tone if I were you," the figure drawled coldly.

The once snarky merchant was now petrified. "S-sorry sir, it w-won't h-happen again," the pig stuttered.

Chuckling coldly, the hooded figure smiled, showing his gleaming white fangs.

"No it won't," the being replied, before throwing the merchant back through the window of his shop. The cloaked assailant then blended into the crowds, disappearing from sight.

* * *

It was a long walk back to the Hall of Heroes, especially with the constant chattering between Saber and surprisingly, Tigress. The normally reserved master could not stop talking with her 'old friend'.

"So where have you been all this time?" Tigress inquired curiously.

Po was grinding his teeth in order keep control. She was never this inquisitive, unless it was an important matter, like a mission. The panda had never seen her like this.

"Here and there, mostly in China and Mongolia, but I was in India for a while," Saber replied nonchalantly.

Tigress looked thrilled, "I've never been to India or Mongolia before. What are they like?"

"Mongolia wasn't anything special, lots of war, but India was interesting. There were many tigers there, although none as beautiful as you," he flirted.

Po threw up a little in his mouth.

Tigress just reddened, "What have you been doing?"

'Unbelievable!' Po thought.

Not even a glare? Tigress had just been hit on and she blushed? If he had said anything similar to those words, he'd be taking a dirt nap six feet under!

"I became a bounty-hunter. I get paid to hunt down the bidder's targets. Pretty sweet right?"

He was a payed killer. He was someone that Tigress would usually look at in disdain. All the masters here had a certain reluctance to kill; it was not in their code. However, when involving Saber, Tigress didn't even bat an eye.

"Then, why are you here? Shouldn't you be chasing after those people?" she asked.

He glanced over to her and smirked.

"I'm on vacation so to speak. My last couple of jobs have set me for the next decade."

'Naturally, he's also rich. What a surprise,' Po thought sarcastically. He rubbed his temples in discomfort. Their conversation was giving him a head-ache.

Saber continued, "And besides, my boss gave me the paperwork for one last assignment after my break. I will be set for life; heck my grand kids would be set for life."

Tigress was interested, "Wow, who are the targets?"

He grinned, "Sorry Ti, it's confidential."

Tigress playfully pouted, "You're no fun."

Po meanwhile, having finished listening to their conversation, rolled his eyes.

He closed them and began focused on the silence, since the two cats had stopped talking for now.

His peace was soon interrupted.

 **'I don't know what's more sickening, the fact that Tigress is opening up wider than the dancers at a strip club, or the fact that you haven't kicked that bastard down the stairs,'** Red snorted.

"Do you ever have any useful input?" Po muttered flatly.

 **'Actually yes I do. While you were busy moping, I've calculated out exactly 104 potential ways to eliminate this idiot. Should I run them by you?'** Red responded proudly.

Po was exasperated, "No thanks."

 **'Well okay then. When you change your mind, just ask,'** Red laughed.

* * *

Eventually, the group reached the Hall of Heroes and entered through the double doors. Saber marveled at the illustrious hall. Jade Pillars carved with spiraling dragons were erected throughout the hall, with ancient tapestries that hung all the way down from the incredibly high ceiling. Marble and jade made up the polished floor with beautiful designs etched into it.

Furthermore; artifacts, weapons, and other décor adorned the majestic room. By the moon pool stood Shifu, balancing on the jade staff that Po have given him for his birthday, Oogway wouldn't mind; hopefully.

Po announced their arrival, "Master Shifu there's-"

"A guest that has arrived that goes by Saber. Yes I know, thank you Dragon Warrior," the current grandmaster finished for him.

Po's eyes widened, "Woah! How'd you find out? Did the universe tell you?"

Shifu smiled tranquilly, "No, Zeng did."

"That was my second guess," Po replied assuredly.

The red panda flipped down from his staff to greet the Siberian tiger.

"Master Shifu, it has been quite some time," Saber bowed.

"No need for that, you will always be welcome here," Shifu replied sincerely.

Saber looked around the hall in admiration, "Have you renovated since I was last here. It looks even more impressive than before."

Shifu smiled, "Yes, you could say that."

Everyone laughed at the inside joke. Saber was left clueless. Seeing this, Mantis explained, "By renovate, he meant rebuild. This place was leveled by a crazy lunatic from the Spirit World."

This caught the tiger's attention, "Wow! You guys have to tell me all about it!"

Everyone conversed and laughed, it seemed like a family reunion. Po just stood behind them watching quietly.

"I'm gonna get started on lunch guys," Po informed curtly before turning to leave.

"One moment Po, I was hoping that you would show our guest his room and the other facilities," Shifu called.

Before Po could even reply Tigress stepped in.

"That's alright Master. I'd like to show Saber around myself," she said a little too quickly.

"Of course you would," Po muttered, trying his best not to roll his eyes.

"What was that Po?" Shifu asked, being the only one in the room to hear the bear's mumbling. Turning towards the red-panda with uncanny hearing, Po quickly lied.

"Uh…I said that I'll get started on the food," Po answered innocently, before walking out.

Shifu raised an eyebrow in almost a knowing look.

"Well, I suppose the rest of you have free time until evening meditation," the grand master dismissed them. The rare instance of free time left the masters thrilled.

"Race you to the hot springs!" Monkey and Mantis yelled at each other before taking off.

Viper rolled her eyes, "I'm going to the flea market downtown. Care to join Crane?"

"Sure, let's go," he replied. The serpent and avian exited, leaving the two tigers alone. Now alone with Saber, Tigress had a pressing matter that she had to attend to,

"One more thing Master Shifu," Tigress turned around, only to find the red panda gone.

The feline master shrugged. The matter would have to wait, "Never mind then. Come on Saber, let's start the tour."

"Fine by me," he said eagerly before following her.

They stopped at their first destination, the training hall. Tigress opened the doors revealing the familiar equipment and courses.

"Woah, is this new? I don't remember these! Wait, I do remember the wooden warriors and the jade tortoise," Saber marveled. After he walked around exploring the course, Tigress came over.

"We better get going, so we can finish the tour in time to eat," Tigress took his arm and led him out the door.

"I'm not very hungry. Why don't we skip lunch?" Saber suggested.

Hesitating, Tigress thought for a moment before shrugging, "I guess there wouldn't be any harm in missing one meal."

Saber smiled in victory. "Well what are we waiting for? Let's go," the white tiger smiled before taking her hand. Tigress seemed to stiffen for a second before relaxing. The two ventured off to visit other parts of the spacious palace grounds.

* * *

 ** _Chop!_**

Po was in the middle of slicing a carrot, with a little more force than usual. While cooking his father's secret ingredient soup, thoughts raced inside his head. The panda was on edge after the events of the day, particularly with the arrival of a certain white tiger.

He wanted to like Saber; okay that was a lie. He hated the tiger's guts. Unfortunately, there was no legitimate reason to dislike their new guest. He seemed nice and polite, besides the unintentional insult about Po's weight, and he even looked innocent while saying it. He was too perfect, and he had Tigress wrapped around his finger without even trying. And Po despised him for those petty reasons, especially the ladder.

 ** _Chop!_**

"Oh! Look at me. I'm so cool," Po muttered in slight malice.

 ** _Chop!_**

"Look at how handsome I am."

 ** _Chop!_**

"All the ladies love me."

 ** _Chop!_**

"Do you like my six-pack?"

 ** _Chop!_**

"I'm so wonderful and charming."

 ** _Chop!_**

"Oh! Did I mention that I was rich too?"

 ** _Chop!_**

 ** _Chop!_**

 ** _Chop!_**

By the time he was done, the poor carrot had been utterly eviscerated. Po's eye twitched before he scraped the carrot mush into the boiling soup. Steam seemed to be rising out of the panda's ears.

"Is everything alright Dragon Warrior?" a voice asked smoothly.

"Gah!" Po shrieked and spun around, reflexively flinging the knife towards the voice in a deadly arc.

 ** _Thump!_**

The sound resonated throughout the kitchen. Buried nearly half a foot into the wall was the knife. Moreover, no more than an inch below the blade was the stoic face of the grand master. Realizing what he did Po was mortified, "Master Shifu I am so sorry! Are you okay? Please don't make me run laps!"

"It's quite alright Po, it was quite impressive. However, try to refrain from doing so again. If I was just a hair taller, I'd be joining Oogway," Shifu broke in, slightly amused.

Po breathed a sigh of relief, both for Shifu's well-being and his. He began to awkwardly shift his weight from one foot to the other. He stared intently at the floor, avoiding the grandmaster's gaze.

Stepping out from under the knife, "You seem rather skittish," Shifu probed.

Now, Po hated lying to his master. And even though he trusted Shifu, his frustration was something he had to deal with on his own. He finally managed to look the red panda in the eyes before responding. "Oh, it's nothing. Don't worry about me master, you just startled me," Po said, trying to sound casual.

Attempting to change the subject Po continued, "Will you be joining us for lunch or dinner?"

Shifu caught a whiff of the delightful aroma that came from the pot boiling on the stove.

Shifu walked over the dining table and sat down, motioning for Po to do the same.

He began, "While that is tempting, I'm afraid I'll have to decline. The reason I came here was to tell you that I will be leaving on a trip to Gongmen City."

"What? Why?" Po wondered.

Shifu sighed in dismay, "All the grand-masters from across the country are gathering for a meeting. Rumors of trouble brewing throughout China have risen. I'll be gone for several weeks at the minimum."

Quickly; losing all signs of his immaturity, "Is there another threat coming?" Po asked, now dead serious.

"It could be nothing, probably is nothing," Shifu explained. There was a slight uncertainty in his gruff voice. As if he was trying to convince himself.

Po was unconvinced, "But if it's **_something_**?"

The elder master sighed, "Then we'll be very glad to have one of the greatest warriors in the history of China on our side."

'Wow! Who?' Po wondered.

Po racked his brain. While he respected all of the Five, and while they were the best warriors in China currently, Po didn't think any of them, besides Tigress, could make a claim to being one of history's greatest warriors. Unless Shifu was talking about Saber; he really hoped he wasn't talking about Saber.

"Tigress?" Po inquired obliviously.

 **'He meant you, you idiot!'** Red ranted in frustration of Po's ignorance.

Shifu suppressed a smile, at the combination of Po's humility and incognizance. There was a time where he despised him for no other reason than petty bias and denial. During his time as Dragon Warrior, Po had done the impossible. He defeated Tai-Lung, he stopped Shen and his brigade, he defeated Kai, and he managed to soften the old red panda's heart which brought him peace. The Furious Five and Shifu had been an unstoppable force of justice, a well-oiled machine. But Po had made them a family.

"Don't ever change panda," Shifu said in genuine pride. Looking over the giant panda's shoulder, he saw the soup pot on the verge of overflowing. Deciding to exercise his dramatic exit, Shifu smirked, "Also your soup is boiling over."

Po spun around to find their lunch and dinner spilling out of the bubbling pot.

"Oh shoot!" he swore, before quickly taking the pot off the fire and setting it on the counter. Turning off the stove he made sure that the soup was not ruined.

"Perfect," Po stated in content after tasting it. Wiping a little sweat from his brow, Po turned, "Thanks for the save. I guess we'll see you in…." Shifu was gone.

Po groaned in annoyance, "I hate it when he does that!"

* * *

The Furious Five minus Tigress were sitting around the kitchen table ready for a late lunch.

"Where is Tigress? I'm starving!" Mantis whined.

Po, who was busy adding a few finishing touches to the soup, nodded his head silently. Even though he had not voiced his concern, Po was also curious of the ordinarily punctual master's absence.

Crane answered helpfully, "Oh yeah, her and Saber were down in the valley viewing the sights. Viper and I ran into them on our way back up. She said that they wouldn't make it to lunch."

"Impossible! Tigress willingly going down to the valley," Monkey joked.

Viper nodded in agreement, "I thought it was kind of sweet. They were done touring the palace, so she reacquainted him with the valley along with the new buildings since he left."

Po's interest was piqued, having listened to the conversation. Now he _really_ wanted to learn more about their new guest. After filling up the bowls with the steaming soup he asked, "So what's the deal with this Saber guy?"

"Oh that's a story," Mantis mumbled. Viper reached across the table and whacked him with her tail.

 ** _Thwap!_**

"Ow!" Mantis complained.

Giving him a stern look, she then turned to the bear, "It's a story I'll gladly share with you Po."

 ** _*Flashback*_**

 _'It was several years after we defeated Boar. It was just another day of training, or so we thought...'_

 _A seventeen year old Tigress was making her way through the Swing Clubs. She made it look rather easy, dodging and weaving throughout the course. One false step could cause a fatal injury. After reaching the end of the death trap, the female master fluently flipped out of it, finishing in a split._

 _"That was great!" a peppy young Viper squealed. Crane and Mantis nodded in agreement, while Monkey gave her a thumbs up. Their approval was heart-warming, but it was not their approval that she was awaiting._

 _Shifu stood by staring at her intently._

 _"Master?" she said in respect, a little out of breath._

 _Her hope was soon stomped on, "Your reflexes need work. You were slow on your turns, your footwork was unsure, and I counted several times when you were nearly hit by the clubs," he listed off. Tigress's perfect posture slumped slightly and her ears drooped almost unnoticeably._

 _"But…" the red panda added. Tigress's ears perked up again in expectance._

 _"It was much better than last week," he finished before showing a rare smile._

 _Tigress gave a small smile back and bowed in gratitude, "Thank you Master."_

 _On the outside she seemed composed, but on the inside she was buzzing. Her master's approval was not something to be taken lightly._

 _Suddenly a warning gong rang from down in the valley, "Gooooong!"_

 _Already familiar with the proceedings, the Five turned towards their master._

 _"Training for today is over. Go tend to the Bandits in the valley!" Shifu commanded._

 _As they made their way towards the door, Tigress swiftly took control, "Crane, you and Mantis go on ahead. Analyze the situation and report back. Viper, Monkey, and I will follow."_

 _"On it," Crane replied, letting Mantis hop onto his hat and quickly taking off. The remaining members of the Five took off towards the steps._

 _"She's growing up. Like a flower blossoming in the sun," Oogway's voice stated calmly, after appearing beside Shifu._

 _"She still has much to learn," Shifu responded gruffly._

 _Oogway smiled, "She does, but she also needs guidance."_

 _"I provide her guidance," the red panda argued._

 _It was true; Shifu had given the young Tigress the best Kung Fu training in all of China. He was the best at what he did; teaching and guiding younger masters to their true potential._

 _"Not that type of guidance. Fatherly guidance," the turtle persuaded._

 _Shifu momentarily had flashbacks of a certain snow leopard. Tai Lung had been his pride and joy; his son. He had opened his heart up to the young feline. The pride he held in Tai Lung had been the young one's downfall. Dedication turned to necessity and necessity turned to obsession. Eventually, his obsession turned dark and led to his exile in Char-Gom prison._

 _"I'm not sure if that's a good idea. The last thing we want is another Tai Lung."_

 _Oogway still pressed on, "I believe you deserve a second chance at being a father."_

 _"I don't."_

 _The Grandmaster sighed, "If you refuse, this situation will only worsen."_

 _"Thank you for your advice master, but I must make my own decisions. Otherwise I'll never achieve inner peace," Shifu finished._

 _Oogway nodded in understanding before making his way out the door. As he distanced himself from the Training Hall and Shifu, he shook his head with a sad smile, "Don't worry my friend. When the time comes, the Dragon Warrior will relieve you of this burden."_

 _Sighing sadly he continued, "Unfortunately, even the strongest of beings will crumble under the heaviest of burdens."_

* * *

 _A seventeen year old Panda was helping his father in their noodle shop. He went to the storage room in the back seconds before a group of bandits broke in._

 _"Okay goose; give us your-" the leader bull threatened before being cut off by Mr. Ping._

 _"Sorry were closed, come back tomorrow," the noodle shop owner answered, not even looking up from doing the dishes. The bull looked indignant at the bird's lack of interest._

 _"Listen old man, I'm serious," the bull growled._

 _Finishing up with the dishes, the goose huffed, "No need to be so rude. I'm too tired to cook for you."_

 _The bull's eye twitched and he began to question his decision of mugging this certain establishment._

 _"What? No I want-"_

 _"I'll have my son cook for you, don't worry," Mr. Ping finished before heading upstairs to bed._

 _"Oh Po! Come serve these gentlemen some food, I'm heading off to bed!"_

 _"Coming!" came the voice of the young panda._

 _There was a shuffling noise and sounds of bumping before he emerged._

 _Po took note of the situation and noticed the bulls waving their swords in a threatening notion._

 _"Money. Now," the leader snarled in impatience._

 _Po quickly glanced around the kitchen and noticed a metal pan hanging within his reach. He agreed to the bull's demands and slowly walked over to the register, before snatching the pan and whacking the bull across the head._

 ** _Thunk!_**

 _The bandit fell like a rock to the ground, unconscious. His two friends were left shocked for a moment before charging forward with their swords, intent on turning the panda into a pin cushion._

 _Taking a step back, Po slipped and unintentionally dodged their attacks. He then bear-tackled both of them, knocking the weapons from their grasps'. It turned into an awkward wrestling and tumble match. Po and the other two thieves flipped and ran into all the shelves, knocking down countless plates, pots, pans, and other kitchen appliances._

 ** _Clang!_**

 ** _Crash!_**

 ** _Thump!_**

 _One of the bulls got Po in a choke hold and began squeezing the air out of him._

 _"Po! What is going on down there?" the voice of a sleepy Mr. Ping called from his room._

 _"Nothing, don't worry about it. Go back to bed," Po wheezed, before head-butting the bandit off. Using his weight advantage, he grabbed the bull by the tail and tossed him into to other one, knocking them out. Dragging them into a pile outside the restaurant, he noticed that the city was in chaos. There were bandits running amuck throughout the valley. And while Po did feel a need to help, he realized it was a bad idea. After all, it was not his fight; it was the Furious Five's. They would be arriving any second. He took one more look around before heading back inside._

* * *

 _Crane and Mantis returned to the rest of the five by the bottom of the thousand steps. While it was dark, it did not hinder the duos ability to depict the situation perfectly._

 _"There are several groups of bandits, nothing too major," Crane assured Tigress._

 _Nodding, Tigress ordered them to split up into groups of twos. She would go solo._

 _After taking care of the bandit groups the five met back at the bottom of the stairs. It was nearing dusk and although they were not injured they were somewhat drained._

 _"That wasn't so bad," Monkey said smiling, a little winded._

 _Unbeknownst to the group, a figure had sneaked up on them. Firing an arrow from his bow the feline had picked out the seeming leader of the five masters, Tigress. Anyone else would have been dead, but after training for years upon years, this was child's play for the female master. Tigress had identified the perpetrator earlier, but she bided her time, waiting to see their course of action. Spinning around, she caught the arrow in midair with ease._

 _"Nice try, but you'll have to do better than that," she taunted. Viper speedily coiled around the hooded figure; detaining him. Tigress and the others strode up to him._

 _"Let me go!" the figure struggled against Viper's restraint. Ignoring his protests, Tigress removed his hood to reveal an attractive white tiger around her age. She stood there staring for a second in awe, before the white tiger snarkily asked, "What are you looking at?" Tigress snapped out of her daze and growled, "Who are you? And what do you want?" Her withering gaze usually brought any criminal man or woman to their knees in fear. However, the male tiger just smirked back at her, "Sorry, sweetheart it's confidential." Looking her over he added with a flirtatious wink, "But then again, if you make it worth my while, kitten." Most criminals would never dare to look Master Tigress in the eyes, much less flirt with the lethal feline. A look of shock, anger, and embarrassment, plastered itself across her face. Never taking her eyes from the pompous asshole, she said in a level voice, "Report back to Shifu. I'll handle it from here." The others looked warily at her and the felon. Reluctantly, the majority of the five left up the steps back toward the palace._

 _The sun had already set, as she dragged the devilish tiger over to a bench and sat him down. She turned to him, letting her anger cool and studied him. While he was a dick, she could not deny that he was a looker. However, judging from his appearance, it looked as if he had not eaten or bathed in days, if not weeks. His eyes were orange, although they seemed dull, almost hopeless. She was always a good judge of character, and he seemed like a good person who was just lost. Feeling a sense of pity for this stranger, she began, "I'm sorry."_

 _That was not something the man was expecting to hear. He was expecting another threat or interrogation. Not an apology. Was he really that easy to read?_

 _Shaking his head, "You know nothing," he lamented._

 _"Then why don't you tell me?" she probed._

 _Looking over at her, he weighed his options. 'I guess it wouldn't hurt' he thought._

 _"Not much to tell really," he began._

 _"I was an orphan; my parents abandoned me as a child. Even the orphanage didn't want me. I lived off the first decade of my life on scraps. Eventually I got into crime. It pays well and fills my stomach, so I can hardly complain. My life isn't pretty, but I get by," he summarized. After his brief story, Tigress reflected on her own life and how alike they were. Honestly, this could have been her if not for Shifu's intervention._

 _"How would you like a second chance?" she offered._

 _He laughed for a moment and gave her a funny look, "And become a goody two shoes?" He was not showing it, but on the inside he began to think, 'Well, she seems genuine and I was bound to get caught and hauled off to prison sooner or later. Maybe I'll give it a chance. Plus she's pretty cute.' "You would do that? Even after I tried to kill you?" he asked in curiosity._

 _Tigress nodded, "Everyone deserves a second chance. How would you like to become part of our family?"_

 _A sincere smile graced his features for the first time in ages, "I'd like that very much. And please, call me Saber."_

 ** _*Flashback End*_**

Po listened intently to the story as Viper continued, "Saber stayed with us for several weeks. At first we didn't trust him, but he grew on us. After staying he told us that he needed to leave and clear his name. Tigress wasn't happy. During those weeks, he and Tigress had grown very attached."

Po frowned at this, though nobody noticed.

"And she moped for months after he had left. I'm sure she's overjoyed to see him alive and well." Viper concluded.

After finishing lunch Po instructed for them to meditate until supper. The five all went to their favorite meditation spots. Viper's was in the garden in the flower bed, the fragrances of the blossoms soothed her. Monkey left to his favorite tree on the outskirts of the palace, the sound of the breeze stirring the branches calmed him. Crane loved the roof of the palace, the tranquility and silence was second to none. Mantis left to the court yard, the bright sun rays comforted him and warmed his spirits. Finally, Po made his way over to the Peach Tree, only to find it occupied. The two missing felines from lunch sat next to each other, chatting under the tree staring at the sky and the nearing sunset. Po watched them for a moment before turning around to leave them with their privacy. That was until his name was brought up in the conversation. Straining his ears he listened,

"So what do you think of him?" Saber inquired.

Po was intently listening now, curious of what Tigress thought of him. After a period of silence Tigress answered, "He's a very nice guy. Noble, humble, sweet and a great friend."

Saber nodded, satisfied with the answer. Po sighed in disappointment from behind the tree.

 **'Wow ouch! Still trapped in the friend-zone I see,'** Red guffawed. Po was not amused at the pleasure Red got from seeing him suffer.

"Whose side are you on anyway?" Po asked angrily.

He was beginning to get fed up with this voice. Unfortunately, there was not much he could do about it. What was he supposed to do? Go down to the village psychologist and say 'Hey can you help me? I have this voice stuck in my head.' This was definitely not something he wanted to advertise to the world. It was bad enough he was probably going crazy; the rest of China did not need to know.

 **'I'm not on anyone's side. I just give you necessary perspective which you seem to lack,'** Red stated matter-of-factly.

Po ignored him and turned away from Tigress and Saber before heading down the steps. On his way down he looked at the lush green hills that filled the landscape above the valley. The sun was setting, leaving a beautiful combination of orange, pink, and red lighting across the darkening sky.

Heading towards the kitchen, Po entered through the door way; passing the kitchen knife still embedded in the wooden wall. After having tried to remove it several times, Po had eventually given up on removing the seemingly permanent wall ornament. Sharing its recent history with the Five during dinner would probably earn a few laughs.

Warming up the soup on the stove, the Dragon Warrior took in the silence of the kitchen. He had begun to enjoy the stillness, nothing but the faint sounds of the boiling water and the slight crackling from the fire in the stove. He had begun to wonder where his friends were before the silence was broken by the loud voice of Mantis, "I'm starving!"

Po sighed and looked over to see the small master zipping through the door and onto the table. He began to hear the voices from the rest of his comrades as they chatted in the halls. Soon, they entered the kitchen and they all sat down at the table. With his back to them he prepared the soup. Luckily, the leftovers from the pot had just enough to fill all six bowls for the Five and himself. Balancing them on his arm, he turned and headed towards the table. Po then realized a tiny detail he had overlooked; Saber their guest. He was also the same person who happened to be sitting in **_his_** chair while chatting and laughing with the Five.

 **'Oh! Look who decided to show up!'** Red scoffed. Po was about to tell him to drop it, but Red wasn't having it, **'No! Taking our seat is where I draw the line! Tell him to move or you'll kick his ass into next week!'** Po shook his head at the antics of his "conscience". He gracefully walked over to the table. He put on a fake smile, "Order up!" the panda announced.

Everyone looked delighted as he served out the bowls. With the final bowl in his hand, Po was debating on what to do with it. Saber made the decision for him. Taking the bowl out of the Dragon Warrior's hand, he dug in.

"Thanks man," the tiger said after his first spoonful.

'Calm yourself! Happy thoughts, Inner peace, Inner peace, Inner peace,' Po chanted in his thoughts.

Red exploded in a storm of rage, **'Screw that! Skin him alive! Gut him like a fish! Turn him into a rug! Make him feel pain!'**

While he internally debated with Red over the benefits of killing Saber, Po stood there silently. Viper noticed this before it dawned on her, "Oh Saber you're sitting in Po's seat," she informed. The Siberian Tiger looked at her and then at the panda in realization.

"Oh sorry man, you don't mind do you? I can get up if you want."

There were a number of responses that Po could have answered with. Maybe something along the lines of: "Yep, could you please move?" or "Yeah, I'd appreciate it. My legs are tired."

However, what came out was not even remotely close.

"No it's fine, you guys enjoy. I wasn't even that hungry anyway; I had a big lunch," Po said almost automatically.

 **'Damn you and your Martyr Complex,'** Red huffed.

In truth Po had barely eaten all day. He had skipped breakfast to meditate. He had eaten a small lunch; barely half a bowl of soup. He was planning on having a substantial dinner, but Saber had just taken the last of the soup.

"Are you sure?" Viper asked in concern.

Po was quite touched that she cared as much as she did. Viper was always the one to worry. Even from the first day he met her. While the others made fun of him or thought he was a fool, she was the only one who had concern for his well-being. She was like the older sister he never had.

Po put on a genuine smile for Viper's sake, "Yeah I'm a little tired. I think I'll call it a day."

Viper nodded and returned a smile before looking back at Saber, who had begun to share one of the stories from his travels.

Before leaving, Po turned back around, "Night guys."

Po's bid good-night was left unanswered. The group had just broken out into laughter with Saber about an incident from his story. Letting out a quiet sigh, Po exited out the kitchen discreetly. The amber eyes of Tigress observed his retreating figure as the panda eventually made his way out of sight. Though she was not nearly as vocal as Viper, Tigress still cared a tremendous amount for Po and she was worried. Brushing off the feeling, Tigress returned her attention to Saber as he continued telling about his journey to India.

Po made his way up the cold stone steps toward the peach tree. The sun was long gone, replaced by something just as beautiful, the moon. As Po reached the top of the steps, he sat down in front of the Peach Tree. Staring up at the sky he took in all its beauty. The moon glowed so vibrantly, and the stars sparkled like little diamonds in an obsidian black sky. Admiring nature had become one of Po's favorite pastimes. No matter how many times he saw the night sky, the sunset, or the sunrise, it never got old.

"I don't know if you can hear me Oogway, but I could really use some guidance," Po called out softly into the night air. Visions of apocalypse and destruction had become more and more frequent in the panda's dreams and meditation. And now Shifu and the other masters around the country were sensing something evil. It couldn't be a coincidence.

"Is something bad going to happen? I'd appreciate some kind of sign," Po asked halfheartedly, he didn't actually expect something to happen. So when a peach fell down from the tree and smacked him on the head, he jerked apprehensively.

"Is that the sign?"

Another peach quickly dropped down from one of the higher branches onto his head.

"Ow! That one actually hurt!"

The panda already knew that Oogway was smiling in amusement from the Spirit World. He could almost hear the wise turtle's calming voice in the wind, 'Pain is an illusion of the mind and senses.'

 **'Bullshit!'** Red retorted.

Po just ignored Red's badgering.

Po quietly thanked Oogway for his assistance and left down the stairs towards the barracks.

As he arrived at the dorms, he noticed that the Five and Saber were not present. It was getting late and the masters were usually very punctual when getting to bed. Po became slightly worried before shaking it off. He came to the conclusion that they were still talking in the kitchen. Shrugging, he entered his room and lay down on his cot, trying to cast away negative thoughts and assumptions. Not ten minutes later, the others came into the dorms in a crowd of laughter. Po let out a breath he had not realized he was holding, in minor relief.

 **'They seem to be having a dandy time without us,'** Red huffed bitterly. The voice was less concerned with the well-being of their friends than Po, unsurprisingly. The bear was about to retort, before a comment by Saber from out in the hallway ceased his current train of thought and put a deep frown upon the panda's formerly tranquil face.

"He really collects Action Figures?" the white tiger wheezed in between his laughter. The others were roaring in laughter.

"I mean, the Dragon Warrior, one of the most revered people in all of China, plays with dolls," Saber continued.

Now, Po, who was lying down in his room looked slightly peeved, but on the inside he was hurt. The Five were sharing things with Saber that were kinda personal to him, but it wasn't that part that hurt. It was the fact that they were all making fun of him again behind his back. He thought they were past this. He thought that they were all his friends and the teasing was in the past.

 **'Back to square one,'** Red said flatly.

For a moment of sheer horror, Po wondered whether the teasing behind his back had ever stopped. Have they always joked about me behind my back? Did they ever stop? After his moment of paranoia, Po dispelled the ridiculous notions.

'Of course they don't. All those moments of friendship and kindness can't be faked,' the good-hearted bear thought with resolve. He was willing to forgive and forget, because Po was that type of guy. However, Saber's next sentence, froze his heart.

"Yeah, but I guess you can't blame him. He must've gotten a pretty abnormal childhood. You guys said it yourselves. It must have been harsh having his mother murdered and his race subjected to genocide. I kind of pity him," Saber conceded.

Po's eyes widened in shock and disappointment, 'They told him about my past!'

You see, right after Kai, Po had invited the Five over to his dad's noodle shop to share his childhood secrets with them. He had almost died for the third time in his life now, and he didn't want to pass away with any regrets. They deserved to know, so he told them everything. Every moment and every detail, from beginning to finish, he told them what he learned and remembered with the soothsayer and Li Shan's help. It was a personal moment, where he had confided in his 'friends' and he had emphasized how special it was to him. He had entrusted them with his private memories and they stomped all over it.

Presently, Po was in bed with a typhoon of emotions swarming over him like a colony of wasps. Filling him was pain, anger, regret, melancholy, and just plain shock.

Outside his room, the group calmed down before heading for their dorms.

"Night," Viper said softly, as if it would change the fact that they'd been howling like a pack of hyenas seconds earlier.

"Night," said Mantis, Monkey and Crane as they headed to their designated quarters.

Po watched through the paper thin walls of the two felines, who were left alone yet again.

"Night whiskers," Saber said before rubbing his cheek against his female counterpart. Po caught a growl that had almost slipped from his throat. Tigress reddened in embarrassment, not used to physical comfort.

"Night," she squeaked, completely failing to keep cool. Tigress swiftly left and soon disappeared into her room. Chuckling, Saber turned and left to his temporary residence at the end of the hall.

Po watched as their shadowed figures both exited from his sight. The panda was wide awake now, with thoughts racing through his head. Trying to force himself to sleep, Po closed his eyes. After nearly half an hour later, he had made zero progress. Eventually the bear gave up and started to stare at the ceiling, an empty look occupying his features. Hungry, tired, miserable, Po said in defeat, "Do you still have those...100 plans?" There were a couple moments of silence before he was answered.

 **'I knew you'd break sooner or later,'** Red answered smugly. Po was too tired to care at the moment.

"Whatever. Just run them by me," the panda sighed.

 **'Okay, okay. First, we need to go buy some fireworks; some reinforced rope, and some super glue from down in the valley. It's gotta look like an accident. After that-,'** Red continued to eagerly instruct in disturbing detail.

Po zoned out as Red continued to ramble on and on about his 'foolproof' plans. He wasn't sure when it happened, but seconds passed, then minutes, then hours, and eventually, the panda slipped into a sleep devoid of dreams and devoid of peace.

* * *

 **A/N: Wow! Red really has no chill. I imagine he'll just make things worse or better (depending how you look at it) for Po. Speaking of which, poor Po. Even I feel bad for him...and I'm the one who's putting him through all this. Unfortunately for him, this is just the beginning. There's way more in store for him, the story, and you guys...just wait and see.**

 **Hope you guys enjoyed this installment. I'll see you in the distant future.**

 **Frost2001 out.**


	5. Chapter 4: Trouble in Paradise?

**A/N: Hey guys I'm back! Hopefully this wasn't too long of a wait.** **This is the longest chapter yet! 9800 words! If you have any questions or suggestions** **feel free to voice them in the comments.**

 **As always, read & enjoy!  
**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Dream Works or** **Kung Fu Panda** **. I only own this specific plot and my OCs.**

* * *

 **Chapter 4: Trouble in Paradise?**

 ** _Buzzzzzzzzzzzzz_**

 _An eerie sound resonated from the darkness, seemingly coming from every direction. At first it was nothing more than a whisper. However, the strange sound increased in magnitude by the second, along with the ground shaking vibration. The deafening noise was on par with that of continuous thunder, albeit even thunder was more comforting. The world came into view as Po's eyes snapped open._

 _Now, utter silence plagued the setting; the noise ceasing the instant he had awoken. Expecting to wake up in his small cot, instead the panda found himself alone in the darkness. He was standing in a dark, sequestered space, almost as if he were confined in a prison cell with no window, no door, nothing; trapped like a rat._

 _"What? Where am I?" the bear croaked. Looking around him, he saw nothing but darkness. In desperation he tried running to escape the dark imprisonment, but no matter where he ran the result was the same; endless nothing. Stopping, the panda put his hands on his knees, panting heavily._

 _Po began to panic, until a small light appeared in the distance at the end of a tunnel behind him; a tunnel that wasn't there a moment ago. Swiftly, Po made a dash towards the light in fear of it vanishing as quickly as it had appeared. The portal of light began to shrink._

 _"No no no no no!" Po yelled. He barely made it, as he leapt through the portal milliseconds before it faded away. The darkness was banished; Po had entered into the realm of day. However, one problem took the place of another. He was thousands of feet above the ground, and in an instant, began plummeting to his death._

 _"AHHHH!" Po screamed at the top of his lungs as he made his way through the clouds. After falling for almost half a minute, Po could finally see the earth below through the haze. Directly under him was a range of jagged mountains. Wonderful! Of all the places he could have fallen, naturally it would be a mountain range. He was seconds away from impact now. Not wanting to witness his ill fate, Po screwed his eyes shut. Three…Two…One…Impact!...Impact!...Impact?_

 _'Am I dead?' Po thought._

 _In addition to the absence of pain or death, Po also noticed the absence of the air howling in his ears and rushing through his fur._

 _Hesitantly, the panda opened his eyes._

 _He was standing in the middle of the valley in front of his dad's noodle shop on a warm summer day; people passing by, seemingly oblivious to his presence._

 _"What the?" he muttered to himself as he looked around. Everything seemed utterly normal as he surveyed the area. His attention was drawn to Mr. Ping's shop. He walked towards the sound of familiar voices and laughter. Curiously, all of the Dragon Warrior decorations were gone._

 _'Wonder why dad took down the Dragon Warrior décor,' Po thought in slight surprise._

 _As he entered, he spotted the Five and Saber._

 _'Maybe they can explain what's going on,' Po mused to himself. He walked through the restaurant over to the table. As he made his way over, the Five and Saber noticed and ceased their talking and laughter. They all looked at the panda expectantly._

 _"Can we help you?" Tigress asked in a curious tone. The others nodded in agreement._

 _Po gave them a funny look, "No, I was just wondering what you guys are doing here."_

 _Tigress frowned, "We came here to eat. I assume that's what most people come here to do," the feline answered in slight confusion._

 _Now Po was slightly ticked, it was bad enough that they were joking about him behind his back; he really didn't need more sarcasm thrown his way. He was about to respond, but before he could Saber cut in, "I'm sorry. Do we know you?"_

 _Po was expecting his migraine...Red to go ballistic again, but to his surprise, the voice was absent. The bear was concerned now. Was this some kind of sick joke?_

 _"Guys, it's me, Po, you guys have known me for years now! Well, most of you," Po said throwing a quick glance at Saber. The group looked at him as if he were crazy. The panda was desperate now; he couldn't believe this was happening._

 _"You know, goofy fat panda? I'm the Dragon Warrior!"_

 _The group blinked, before busting out in a storm of laughter. Po looked at them in disbelief, his eye twitching. The Five and Saber were almost in tears by the time they finished._

 _"Sorry buddy, but I'm the Dragon Warrior. You may not be a warrior, but you'd make a great comedian," Saber smiled. Po looked quickly at the Five who all nodded in agreement as if it were obvious. The Siberian tiger stood up from his seat, as did the others. He walked up to Po with a bright smile._

 _"Listen we have to go. We have training to do, but if we ever need some entertainment at the Jade Palace, we'll let you know," Saber chuckled and patted Po on the shoulder before making his leave, the Furious Five in tow. Tigress stayed behind with the Panda. She wore a look of concentration as she stared at the bear._

 _"Is something the matter?" Po inquired staring wearily at his feet._

 _"I recognize you from somewhere," she explained in a certain tone. Po's eyes widened as he looked at her directly. He could have jumped for joy._

 _'She remembers!' he cheered mentally. He felt like he was soaring._

 _Tigress tapped her clawed finger against her chin in thought before a look of realization flashed across her face._

 _The female master smiled, "Po Ping! Now I remember! You're the panda that we saved from those bandits a few weeks back," she said assuredly._

 _Po went from sky-high to rock bottom in less than a second. He wanted to bang his head on the table in frustration. How do people you have been living with for years just forget you exist? Before either of them could say anything else, they heard Saber, "Tigress, you coming or not?"_

 _The feline master in question gave Po a faint smile, "I've got to go. My boyfriend's calling. Stay safe."_

 _She then took off towards the stairs to catch up with the others. Po gaped in disbelief._

 _'Saber is her boyfriend? That's just the icing on the cake,' Po thought sardonically._

 _He shut his eyes and sighed in defeat. After opening them, he looked around to notice that it was pitch black outside. Everyone in the valley had vanished; it was a ghost town. He walked out into the street to look for any signs of life; there were none. Before he could do anything else, it began pouring. The wind whipped against his fur coat with freezing waves of water. He was cold, soaked, tired, and unlike many other times, he was alone. Po fell to his knees in the middle of the abandoned street and broke down. The hot tears that streamed down his face were quickly washed away by the rain and wind. He could hear a clear voice talking through the wind. It wasn't just any voice, it was his. However, this voice was different; it was darker; it was cruel._

 ** _"You've saved China and your friends countless times,"_** _it began._

 _"Go away," Po breathed._

 ** _"But no matter what you do,"_** _it continued._

 _"Leave me alone," Po pleaded._

 ** _"Or how many times you save them."_**

 _"Stop it."_

 ** _"They will always see you as a big fat panda."_**

 _"No."_

 ** _"And in time, you will be forgotten."_**

 _"Shut up!" Po yelled hoarsely._

 _Suddenly the rain stopped, the winded ceased, and Po found himself back in the dark room. He spun around in unease to find nothing and no one._

 ** _"We are the same, you and I,"_** _the voice informed. Po would have laughed at the comparison if he wasn't on edge from the recent turn of events._

 _"I'm nothing like you! You're psychotic!" Po argued._

 ** _"Well that's not very nice. Didn't your mother teach you any manners?"_** _it chided mockingly_

 _Po growled._

 ** _"Oh wait, too soon?"_** _the voice cackled._

 _"I'm tired of your games Red! Show yourself!" Po snarled. There was a long silence. Po began to wonder if Red had just left. That was until he heard a thump and he turned to see a large mirror had appeared on the black wall._

 ** _"Go on. Take a look,"_** _Red insisted._

 _Apprehensively, Po treaded over to the mirror and looked into it. The reflection that looked back was him, but it wasn't. It was the same, yet different. The reflective glass showed a very well-built panda that was several inches taller, which looked back at him with a smirk. He was everything Po aspired to be: respectable, handsome, confident, muscular, imposing, and a hundred other adjectives to describe the figure looking back at him. The most noticeable difference was the eyes. The reflection had a pair of ruby colored eyes, compared to the jade green of Po's._

 ** _"Like I said, we are the same,"_** _his reflection told him smugly._

 _Po was at loss for words. He had thought the voice in his head had just been meaningless thoughts; an inner-conscience at most. However, Red was a part of him? He was Red? They were the same? There were so many questions unanswered, so many things he had to ask. His thoughts were interrupted by his counter-part._

 ** _"That's enough learning for one day. It's time to wake up,"_** _Red hissed._

 _"Wake up? What do you mean wake u-" Po began before turning to look back at his reflection, only for Red to reach through the mirror, seize him by the neck and pull him through._

 ** _*End of Dreamscape*_**

"Gah!" Po panted as his eyes fluttered open. In his drowsy state, the panda awkwardly fell out of his bed and tumbled onto the cold wooden floor boards, head first.

 ** _Crack!_**

Po groaned quietly in pain. He slowly rolled himself into a sitting position and rubbed his sore head in discomfort.

 **"Rise and Shine!"** Red sang, with too much glee for Po's liking.

The Dragon Warrior sluggishly scanned his surroundings, only to find himself inside his dorm. Po was about to retort before freezing at the sound of Monkey's sleepy voice.

"But Shifu it's a Saturday," the golden langur mumbled before falling back into a restful slumber.

The bear looked out his room's open window to reveal the shadowy landscape of the mountains and valley below. It was still dark out. If he could guess, it would probably be several hours before the first rays of sunlight would begin to illuminate the valley. He could hear the quiet breathing of the other six occupants of the barracks. They were all deep within their sleeps, unaware of the panda and his disruptive awakening.

After a few moments of thought, Po decided to get started on his training. Rising to his feet, he silently opened his door and exited the barracks.

Po made his way down to the path towards the training hall. Pausing momentarily by the kitchen, he considered whipping up a quick breakfast for the others and himself before dismissing the idea.

'No point, I'll probably finish before they come to eat,' he theorized.

Usually, he would go meditate by the peach tree or dragon grotto. However, he felt like he needed to release some pent up stress he'd accumulated in the past couple days.

Eventually, he reached the training hall. Pushing open the doors, he then walked up to a lever on the wall to his right; an improvement to the recently renovated training room. Po then flipped the lever down, causing the all braziers across the room to ignite in a chain, as well as the training equipment to activate. Shifu had it installed a few weeks ago. He wasn't sure how it worked, but it beat having to light the braziers and start the equipment manually.

After warming up and stretching, he headed towards the Clubs of Oblivion.

Before starting, he hit the button of a stopwatch hanging on the wall; another renovation.

Taking a deep breath, he launched himself into the course. Po's body went on auto-pilot from there. The course had long lost its challenge; Po was slightly amused that he'd ever had trouble with it previously. It was like jump rope or hop scotch to him now.

'Jump, duck, swerve, block, side-step, split, flip, repeat,' he thought dully.

As he finished the Clubs, he jumped straight up to Talon Rings. He finished those in seconds. Skipping across the Jade tortoise, Po flipped into the Wooden Warriors. He was a blur of black and white, as he sped through them. Every movement, every block, every step was near perfection. After escaping the sea of warriors, Po slid onto the fiery field. He easily made it through the pillars of fire, not once did a flame come within a foot of his being. Performing a backflip out of the field, Po landed gracefully on the safety of the dojo's wooden floor.

He took a quick glance at the timer across the room and smiled. He had improved since the last time, shaving off roughly 3.50 seconds. Glancing at the leader board on the left wall of the Training Hall, he looked at the other's times. The leader board had been added, for "motivational" and "entertainment" purposes; according to Shifu.

A few weeks after they had returned from the panda village, either Mantis or Monkey (Po couldn't remember) had come up with the idea. Naturally, it sparked a debate on who was better? Viper thought it could be fun, Crane was neutral, and Tigress approved, because of her competitive nature.

The board had two major categories, weekly scores and all-time scores. These two groups were divided into four events, (training course time, mile time, bench press max, and squat max). All-time scores were permanent until they were broken. Weekly scores would be erased every week and the winner(s) of the week would be allowed to skip chores and have an extra day off in the next week. It was an efficient system, which proved to be successful. The Five were showing remarkable improvement week-in, week-out.

Surprisingly, Tigress didn't win every week. Some weeks Mantis would beat her at the training course, or Crane would be faster during the mile run. However, she still held every single all-time record. Her all-time scores proved to be "untouchable". No one could come within ten seconds of her training hall time at 1:34.00 minutes. No one could come within half a minute of her mile time at 2:37.00 minutes. Her bench press and squat were 275 and 315 pounds respectively, none of the Five came close.

While the Five enjoyed this new found challenge, Po tried to distance himself from it. It was a petty competition that he wanted no part of; he'd rather complete his chores, and he didn't need the extra days off. He **never** recorded his scores on the leaderboard or for the sake of the competition. He would keep track of them to mark his progress for improvement, nothing more. He had voiced his displeasure to Shifu in private about the matter.

 ** _*Flashback*_**

 _Po barged into the Hall of Heroes to find Shifu peacefully meditating by the Moon pool._

 _"Evening Dragon Warrior," Shifu greeted calmly._

 _Po was irritated beyond measure._

 _"You've got to be kidding me right? Turning our training into some kind a competition!" the panda fumed._

 _Shifu just sat there breathing in and out in a meditation stance. A few minutes passed by before he said anything._

 _"Come, we can talk by the peach tree," the Grandmaster replied with a wry smile._

 _He stood up slowly and walked towards the double doors, motioning for Po to follow. Po let out an exasperated sigh and followed the red panda into the night._

 _They made their way to the peach tree after minutes of walking in silence. Shifu sat down in front of tree and patted the spot next to him. The Dragon Warrior raised an eyebrow and walked over to Shifu._

 _"I'll stand," the panda grunted._

 _"Suit yourself."_

 _"Well? Care to explain your reasoning?" Po asked impatiently._

 _Instead of answering immediately, Shifu let out a content sigh and looked up into the night sky. It was a painted black canvas, illuminated by millions of stars; there was no other way to describe it; it was beautiful._

 _"Isn't the night sky beautiful?" Shifu asked._

 _Po would usually agree, however he wasn't in the mood to star gaze._

 _"You didn't answer the question," Po snapped._

 _Shifu was seemingly unbothered by the younger master's outburst. He simply turned around and lightly tapped the tree with his jade staff before setting it back in his lap. Seconds later, two peaches fell into his awaiting palms._

 _"Peach?" he offered to the normally voracious panda._

 _Po just crossed his arms and let out a huff. Shifu smiled at the younger man's resolve._

 _"More for me then," the grand master chuckled before taking a bite out of one. Po took a deep breath to calm himself. Before he could say anything, Shifu beat him to it, "Why turn training into a competition you ask?" Po nodded sharply._

 _Shifu gave a faint smile, "Let me answer your question with a question. Why does it bother you?"_

 _"We train and push ourselves to become better in order to save people, not for our personal benefit!" Po protested._

 _"The **Furious Five** are showing remarkable improvement," Shifu assured him._

 _"The **Furious Five** are losing sight of what really matters!" Po warned him vehemently._

 _The two stared at each other. The grand master a peaceful gaze, compared to the Dragon Warrior's harsh one. Eventually, Po looked off into the distance and closed his eyes; trying to regain composure._

 _Po returned his gaze to Shifu and looked deeply at him before speaking, "The Furious Five was your idea, was it not?"_

 _Shifu gave the bear a questioning look before shaking his head, "The Furious Five isn't just the current group. It isn't just the warriors. It was-."_

 _Po cut him off, "It was the idea…to bring together a group of, remarkable people…to see if they could become something more."_

 _The panda looked away from the grand master and strode towards the end of the cliff's ledge._

 _Looking down towards the Valley of Peace, Po sighed._

 _"To see if they could work together…so when the people needed them…they could fight the battles…that no one else could," he finished._

 _Shifu smiled in admiration of his latest student._

 _'Such wisdom and morality for someone so young,' the grandmaster thought in wonder._

 _Turning around, Po looked at Shifu, "If you want to continue this competition, so be it. It's your decision, not mine. But I want no part of it. Good night master," he stated, ending their conversation._

 _The bear swiftly walked past Shifu and exited down the stairs towards the barracks. Shifu was left sitting there with a slight smile upon his face. Using his staff to help himself to his feet, Shifu looked up into the night sky._

 _"You really did make the right decision, master," Shifu gently conceded._

 ** _*End of Flashback*_**

Despite Po's protest, the leaderboard competition continued, and he eventually came to accept it; though he never took part in it. Besides, the others seemed to be proud of their scores, especially Tigress. He didn't want to have to tell the female master that her scores weren't as unbeatable as everyone believed.

Po had long passed up every one of Tigress's records by a distance, except the mile run; he hated the mile run. His training course time was now currently sitting at 1:23.00 minutes and both his bench and squat exceeded 350 pounds. He kept track of his scores in private to have reference of his improvement throughout the weeks.

Currently, the panda was striding towards the beginning of the course to start again. After about a dozen rounds on the course, he finished up and exited the hall.

The black sky was slowly, but surely fading away in the presence of the few golden sun rays peaking over the eastern mountains. Po gave a faint smile as he felt the warm rays touch his ruffled and sweaty fur. However, his smile faded away as something caught his eye. Po gazed at a patch of wilted flowers across the grounds in the gardens. It was nearing the end of autumn, and it was the time of year where all life fades away. He soon took a quick glance around the surrounding landscape within his range of sight. The mountain grass, the flowers, the trees, everything, seemed to have lost its lively glow that was present in the spring and summer.

Po's eyes widened and an idea formed. Deciding to put it into action, he took his inner-peace stance and began the work the familiar motions. His movement was flawless. His figure seemed to flow; graceful as water. His arms stopped at the center of his chest, he was still for a moment. Nothing happened for several seconds, before his palms began to light up in a golden energy. Po continued his movements substantially swifter, but just as effortless. The black and white warrior began to incorporate more complex actions like flips and spins into his style. Soon the golden aura from his palms surrounded the panda and he became an ever growing source of light.

From a distance he could have been mistaken for the sun itself. After several minutes of this, Po planted his knee into the ground in a crouching stance and clasped his hands together. All the brightness soon began to lose its intensity and eventually it faded away. Po quickly slammed his fist into the concrete grounds with his eyes closed in absolute concentration. Straightaway, an immensely powerful aura of Chi radiated around him before dispersing in a vast wave in all directions at an incredible speed. The wave passed over the entire Jade Palace in seconds, before spreading over the Valley of Peace. It traveled until it left the range of eyesight; dozens of miles away over the mountains. Po opened his eyes and stood up with a genuine smile. All the wildlife had been rejuvenated to its fullest and healthiest. The mountain grass was as green as his eyes again, and the trees and flowers had regained all their lost leaves and petals.

"Perfect," Po grinned, satisfied with his work.

 **'Meh, I've seen better,'** Red said flatly.

Po's mood quickly soured, and he rolled his eyes at Red's indifference. After giving one last glance towards the now gorgeous landscape, the panda leisurely made his way down the stone path towards the kitchen and barracks. As he walked, he decided to make conversation with his 'alter self'.

"Why can't you enjoy things like wildlife and its beauty?" Po ridiculed the voice.

Red snorted in derision before responding, **'Please, there are countless things that are more interesting than wood and weeds.'**

The panda frowned at this, "Like what?" he retorted indignantly. As soon as the words left Po's mouth he regretted it.

"No. Nevermi-" Po protested, desperately trying to avoid the inevitable before being cut off.

 **'Where do I begin?'** Red interrupted.

 **'After all, girls have many beautiful things to be admired,'** Red mused gleefully. Po wanted to bash his head against the ground. He was frustrated beyond belief, "You're a pervert!"

 **'I prefer sexually imaginative.'**

Po shook his head in exasperation,

"I don't care what you call it! It's sick and disrespectful and-"

 **'Yeah, yeah, just shut up and listen, because it's time for a quick health lesson,'** Red asserted.

'I don't need any lessons….I know how it all works," Po objected with less confidence this time.

 **'Oh really? So your goose dad taught you all about the birds and the bees. Right?'**

"The what and the what?" Po asked bewildered. There was a long silence as the bear continued his walk through the Jade Palace grounds.

Finally, he heard Red groan, **'…Looks like I have my work cut out for me.'**

The walk back towards the barracks was normally just several minutes. However, with Red constantly prattling about female anatomy, it seemed like several hours. Po was thanking the gods when Red finally shut up; seemingly satisfied with his success in relieving Po of his innocence.

The scarlet faced panda was so distracted, that he almost missed the voices and laughter as he walked past the kitchen. Halting his movement, he turned back around to find that it was occupied by the others. Po walked back towards the kitchen and entered through the doorway. As soon as the panda entered he detected a delicious aroma in the room.

"Morning guys," he greeted.

"Morning," the others returned, giving him a quick glance before focusing back on a lively Saber as he described one of his adventures.

"So there I was, trapped in a room with four lunatics and nothing but a pair of chopsticks. I was alone, no back-up, and these guys were out for my skin…" Saber told animatedly.

The Five were on the edge of their seats, much like children.

"What happened?" Viper squealed.

"Well, I managed to disable one of them, but they were tough mercenaries, much more dangerous than your average criminal. And to make it worse, my chopsticks broke," he continued.

"Hey guys what's that—" Po tried to asked.

"Shhhhh!" the others hushed him.

Po threw up his hands in defeat.

Predicting that he would have to wait until Saber was finished, he rested against the doorway, careful to avoid the kitchen knife still embedded in the wall. He wanted to sit down, but he couldn't since Saber had 'borrowed' his chair. He had tried to find an extra chair in the storage rooms last night, but surprisingly there were none.

 **'How the hell does an entire palace not have an extra chair? It's ludicrous!'** Red complained. Po silently agreed.

"Where was I? Oh yeah, so I was outnumbered, cornered, and weaponless. I had to get out of there! I managed to avoid the first two; however the third hit me with his mace and sent me flying out the window off the fifteenth floor!"

The group went silent before bursting with noise.

"No way!"

"Wow!"

"Interesting."

The next comment however silenced the rest.

"You fell? Did you fall to your death? You fell to your death didn't you?" Mantis exclaimed in anxiety.

Everyone gave Mantis a questioning look, even Po, who was standing away from the group.

Mantis looked indignant, "What? It's a legitimate question!" he argued.

Saber gave him a confused smile, "No, thankfully I managed to land in a hay cart below. A bit lucky on my part."

Everyone laughed at this and began talking amongst themselves. While the Five conversed, Saber turned to Po, "Hey man, what did you ask a second ago?"

Po hesitated, "What is that smell?"

Saber frowned momentarily before smiling.

"Oh! It's the congee I cooked. You weren't here this morning and I know a thing or two about cooking, so I whipped up a quick meal for everyone. I think there's some left on the stove if you want it," the white tiger replied assuredly.

Po nodded in thanks before passing the table of warriors to the counter where a pot sat. It had barely half a cup left in it, if even that. The panda sighed before pouring the small amount into a bowl and quickly eating it. He had to begrudgingly admit that it was absolutely delicious.

"Do you like it?"

Po turned around to see Saber looking at him expectantly. For a moment Po considered acting indifferent before dispelling the notion. It tasted amazing and he couldn't disrespect the effort Saber made in making it. In fact, his dad had once asked him to make congee and it was a nightmare to cook.

"Yeah, it's pretty good," Po returned with a smile.

Saber beamed at the approval before Mantis gushed, "Pretty good? It's incredible!"

Saber reddened at the insect's comment.

"I wouldn't say that," Saber muttered in slight embarrassment.

"Give yourself some credit," Crane put in.

Monkey nodded in agreement, "Seriously, after eating Po's soup I thought there would never be anything else close. Not only is it just as good; it's arguably better."

A fiery debate soon commenced after Monkey's controversial remark. The Five began arguing amongst each other while Po and Saber watched from the sidelines.

"Don't we get a say in this?" Po asked exasperatedly with Saber nodding in agreement.

"No!" the others all responded tenaciously.

The two black and white males looked at each other and just shrugged.

Mantis was adamant, "The soup is better!"

"No it's not!" Monkey fired back.

"Yes it is!"

"No it's not!"

"Is!"

"Not!"

"Shut up you ugly ape!"

"You shut up shorty!"

The two master's heated glares cut through the air as they stared at each other across the table.

"How about we put it to a friendly vote?" Viper suggested trying to keep the calm.

Mantis and Monkey looked over to the serpent, before cooling down and nodding, but not before betting each other fifty almond cookies to whoever won the vote.

Mantis was first, "I vote for Po. I mean the congee is good, awesome even, but the noodle soup is divine sustenance from the gods above!" he stated resolutely.

Monkey came second, "Sorry, but the congee is just better. I vote Saber," the golden langur countered.

Both Po and Saber watched in interest as the other warriors voted. Saber was smiling seemingly enjoying the debate; however Po just had a slight crease in his brow.

"I agree, Po's soup is amazing but this congee gives a spark that the soup has lost over the past couple years, so I vote for Saber," Crane piped in.

Viper was silent for a moment with a thoughtful look on her face. After several seconds she voiced her opinion, "I think that while Saber's congee is tasty, Po's soup is richer and more flavorful. So I vote for the soup."

The voting tied at two for each. Everyone snapped their heads to Tigress, who had been relatively quiet during the entire affair. The feline master seemed to be in rather deep thought as she stared out the window at the valley below.

 ** _*Ahem*_**

Tigress spun to see everyone looking at her keenly.

In truth she had stopped listening to the others' conversation after Saber had finished his story.

The female tiger had more pressing matters to deal with. She had wanted to talk with Shifu about them the other day, but he had left. And now she couldn't find him anywhere this morning. The others continued to stare at her, wanting an answer for whatever they had been squabbling about earlier.

"What?" she asked, trying to retain whatever was left of her dignity.

"Which is better the soup or the congee?" Viper asked neutrally.

Meanwhile, Monkey and Mantis were behind the snake signaling Tigress to vote for their respective sides.

Tigress held a perplexed look upon her face, as she watched the two immature masters waving and pointing at themselves.

'Congee or soup? What soup? Did Saber also cook soup?' she thought in uncertainty.

After a few moments of thinking, Tigress concluded that Saber must have cooked soup while she was zoned out.

"The congee I guess, but I haven't tried the—" Tigress began before being blared out by Monkey. He had begun howling in laughter while doing a victory dance over the dejected form of Mantis.

"Haha! Saber for the win! Guess who owes me fifty almond cookies!" Monkey sang in rejoice.

The others all rolled their eyes and smiled at his antics.

"Whatever," Mantis grumbled.

Everyone laughed at this except for Tigress, who was beyond confused at this point and Po, who had a blank look on his face. Recovering from his stupor, the panda hushed the group.

"Okay guys enough fun and games, it's training time," Po announced before heading out the door, soon followed by the others.

Tigress was in the back of the group as they walked to the training hall. She was left thinking over the matter of her current 'problem' that needed to be discussed with the grandmaster.

'Maybe Po knows where Shifu is," she thought. The feline quickened her pace until she was level with the panda.

"Po, I was wondering if you knew where Shifu is. None of us could find him this morning."

He looked at her in surprise, "Did he not tell you?"

Tigress shook her head.

"Well, he left to Gongmen for a meeting with the other grandmasters. He told me he wouldn't be getting back for several weeks- at the least," the panda explained.

The feline master frowned at this.

'Great! I'll have to wait for weeks until I can talk with him,' she internally cursed.

Noticing the frustrated look on Tigress's face, Po voiced his worry, "You okay?"

Tigress looked up to see Po's jade eyes filled with concern.

"Yes, I'm fine Po," she lied convincingly, remaining composed on the outside.

However, on the inside, Tigress had butterflies. It was always nice when Po gave her special attention. She had always been derelict as a child, both from the orphanage and from Shifu. Po had been the first person in her life to show that he truly cared; even when she tried to push him away. Over time, she had not only come to accept his care but relish in it (secretly of course).

'Always looking out for me, big idiot,' she internally smiled.

The group eventually arrived at the entrance to the training hall.

"Where's teach?" Saber asked offhandedly, looking around for the red-panda in question.

The others shrugged, except Po and Tigress.

" **Master Shifu** , is on a business trip in Gongmen City, and he won't be returning for several weeks," Po informed the others curtly. He then opened the doors and entered the hall; the others following close behind.

After turning on the equipment and igniting the braziers, everyone began to stretch and warm up. As per usual Saber wouldn't shut up.

"Who's instructing if Shifu's gone?"

Everyone pointed towards Po, who was sitting quietly behind them, before resuming their stretches.

The white tiger raised an eyebrow before shrugging and returning to his stretch as well.

Po had his eyes shut in concentration as he sat behind the group.

'Inner Peace,' he murmured.

 **'Damn!'**

Po let out a quiet sigh in defeat as he was brought out of his peaceful trance. What was Red up to now?

'What?' he thought in irritation.

 **'Okay, okay, look directly eleven o'clock,'**

Po internally rolled his eyes, before opening them. He then swiftly glanced over at his eleven o'clock, only to see Monkey bending over, his pants with a slight tear in them revealing his heart underwear. The panda visibly gagged at the scene he had just witnessed before snapping his eyes shut in disgust.

'Ew! What the hell!' Po mentally berated Red.

 **'Oops! My bad, I meant your 2 o'clock,'** he responded sheepishly.

Po opened his eyes again, this time more with more caution, and turned his head towards his two o'clock. His brain stopped functioning shortly after.

Tigress was bent over touching her toes as she stretched; her normally loose training pants straining around her shapely rear.

Po swiftly turned his head away, his face burning.

 **'Are you gay or something?'**

"You need to stop," Po grumbled. He shut his eyes once again and tried to dispel the image of the female master's figure. It was difficult enough to ignore Tigress without Red's goading.

After the masters finished their warm up, Po put them to work on the training course as he supervised. Saber watched in admiration as the Five moved through the course. However, not used to waking up this early, the tiger's eyes began to droop.

Meanwhile, Po thoroughly examined the Five as they glided through the training course. Each warrior embodied a near perfect physical ability. Mantis was speed. Viper was flexibility. Monkey was agility. Crane was balance. Tigress was strength.

"Finish, and to the Front!" Po announced. As the panda waited for them to finish he heard a droning sound.

"Zzzzzzzzzz!"

The black and white warrior turned his head to see Saber in a deep slumber.

The Five eventually completed their stations. One by one, they made their way over to Po and stood at his attention in expectance. They were all breathing heavily from the brutal exercise. Po looked at them with a faint smile before speaking.

"Well guys I-"

"Zzzzzzzzzz!"

Po looked down exasperatedly at the restful form of Saber. The feline snorted a few more times before becoming silent. The Five stifled giggles as Po massaged his temples in annoyance.

"As I was saying, you guys are-"

"Zzzzzzzzzz!"

 **'Please shut him up. Gag him, collapse his lung, something!'** Red groaned.

Po took a deep breath to calm himself before bending over and nudging Saber. The white tiger didn't even stir. After several tries, Po was about ready to slap the napping feline before Tigress intervened. She had seen that Po was about to snap, and she'd rather not have Saber on the end of the rare wrath of the Dragon Warrior.

Kneeling over him she said in a firm yet soothing voice, "Saber wake up, now."

No one expected anything to happen, so it came as a surprise when he woke up promptly after Tigress's command.

"I'm up!" the male tiger blurted in a groggy voice as he shot up tripping over himself into a standing position.

Tigress smiled and rolled her eyes before walking back to where the five were standing. Po, whose arms were crossed, looked back from Saber to the others.

"To keep it short, your improvement has been incredible! Your forms are near perfection now," he said briefly in a positive manner, not wanting to be interrupted again.

 **'Actually, Viper constantly leaves her head exposed, which will result in head trauma. Monkey's tail is a terminal weakness in his form. Mantis never checks his six, leaving him open to a rearward attack. Crane never utilizes his legs, disable his wings and he's useless. Tigress is extremely arrogant and her form entirely disregards any substantial defense. Target her kneecaps, because she exposes them constantly,'** Red listed off.

Po gritted his teeth, 'Do you have to dispute _everything_ I say?'

 **'Only when you're wrong. So…yeah.'**

The panda was brought out of his internal conversation by a comment from Mantis.

"Yeah, well, we still aren't any closer to beating Tigress's time."

The others shrugged. None of them had gotten close to the female tiger's best course time.

Monkey scratched his head, "Well yeah, it's unbeatable!"

"It definitely is impressive."

"I can't even get within half a minute of it."

Tigress smiled proudly at this. Saber, who had been half-asleep, was now fully awake and extremely interested.

"What's her time?" he asked intrigued.

"Like a minute and forty seconds," Mantis answered.

"Actually it's a minute and thirty-four seconds," Tigress responded knowingly.

"Whatever."

Saber gave an audible hum and his gaze gravitated over to the course. After a few moments of inspection, he clasped his hands together.

"Can I give it a go?"

The others raised their eyebrows at this.

The last time someone other than the Five or Po had attempted the course was a few weeks after the Kai incident. He had been a cocky transfer student from the Shanxi Province. Jiao, a fox trainee, had been sent to the Jade Palace for a final examination before being bestowed the title of 'Master'.

 ** _*Flashback*_**

 _Po and the Five were in the middle of the training course when Shifu entered briskly through the doors. Immediately, they abandoned their stations and bowed in attention._

 _"Yes master?" they asked in unison._

 _Shifu waved his hand in dismissal, "Relax, there is-"_

 _"A threat to the valley that needs to be taken down! Don't worry master; I'm so ready, let's go kick some tail!" Po bellowed, interrupting the red panda._

 _The Dragon Warrior was about to head out, before being stopped short by Shifu's staff poking him forcefully in the gut, knocking the air out of him._

 _While Po wheezed, trying to re-fill him emptied lungs, Shifu continued where he left off._

 _"As I was saying, there is an arrival of a Trainee from one of the provinces. He goes by Jiao. He should be here any moment. Your job is to evaluate him and make sure he's ready to become a Master."_

 _Shortly after Shifu had finished, there was a knock at the door._

 _"I got it!" Po announced, jogging over to the door. He took hold of the handle and tugged but the door didn't move._

 _"Huh?" the panda muttered in confusion. He quickly checked to make sure none of the locks were in place before trying again. It still wouldn't open._

 _"What the heck?" Po grumbled in frustration._

 _He soon braced his feet against the wall and grabbed the handle with both his hands._

 _"ARgggg!"he grunted in exertion, pulling the door with all his might, but the damn thing wouldn't budge._

 _Meanwhile, the Five and Shifu just watched their friend as he struggled with the simplistic task of opening a door. Tigress face palmed in exasperation, Shifu had a dead pan look on his face, Viper and Crane just shook their heads._

 _Mantis smirked in amusement, "Should we inform him that the workers made the new training hall doors open outwards?"_

 _Monkey stifled a laugh, "We should…but this is too funny."_

 _Po was blue in the face before letting go of the door handle._

 _"Stupid door!" he yelled, before push kicking it with all his might, not expecting anything to happen. However, the door forcefully swung open at a blinding speed._

 ** _THUD!_**

 _Everyone winced at the sound. Po nervously looked out the doorway. No one was there._

 _"False alarm, no one's here," Po huffed in embarrassment._

 _Shifu and the others strode past him outside and looked around. Surely enough, the court yard was uninhabited._

 _"Uhh," a groan came from behind the door._

 _Shifu promptly walked over and swung the door away from the wall. Wedged between the wall and door was Jiao, a red fox._

 _Everyone gave Po a dirty look._

 _He just chuckled uneasily, "Uh, my bad."_

 _The fox soon recovered from his daze and they soon realized that he was a complete brat._

 _"Are you alright?" Shifu asked kindly._

 _Jiao just gave him a snarky look before replying, "Do I look fine, gramps?!"_

 _Everyone was left in shock of the young man's disrespect._

 _"What are you guys staring at? You jealous? Never seen someone so handsome before? I can't really blame you; I would be extremely depressed if I was half as ugly as any of you."_

 _If his impudence before had left them shocked, this had left everyone speechless, except for Tigress._

 _"Watch your tongue, you are speaking with the Furious Five, Dragon Warrior, and Grandmaster of the Jade Palace," she warned impatiently._

 _"This is the Furious Five and Dragon Warrior? Well, I have to say that I'm not very impressed," Jiao drawled._

 _He then leisurely walked into the training hall. The others hurriedly followed him into the hall. Po had been staring at his feet for the past minute and looked up to see everyone had gone inside the training hall, everyone except Tigress. With an irritated look, she marched over to Po. The panda gulped in fear._

 _'Uh-oh, here it comes,' Po mentally grimaced._

 _Tigress stopped in front of him, she was tight-lipped and it felt as if her eyes were burning holes into his soul._

 _"Po," she whispered disturbingly calm._

 _"Yes?"_

 _"Next time…Kick the door harder," she finished before walking inside._

 _Po let out a sigh of relief before following her._

 _When he entered, he saw the fox warming up in front of the course. The Five and Shifu were watching with dark smiles. Po raised an eyebrow before joining them._

 _"What'd I miss?"_

 _Monkey chuckled maliciously, "Pretty boy is going to try out the training course."_

 _"Don't worry, he's so good he'll do it flawlessly on his first try," Mantis said mockingly._

 _Even Viper; normally sweet Viper, had an evil grin adorning her face, "This is gonna be good."_

 _Shifu, Tigress, and Crane were quiet, but you could see anticipation seeping off them._

 _Jiao not hearing a word of their conversation, smirked in confidence, "This course looks like it was built by a five year old. It's gonna be a breeze."_

 _Shifu just gave him a sinister smile, "Ready…Begin!"_

 ** _*End of Flashback*_**

In short, Jiao's attempt at the course was a disaster. No one had ever failed so miserably; besides maybe Po on his first try. Jiao was supposed to stay with them for several weeks. Much to their relief, he was gone within a few days back home, sporting several fractures, a twisted knee, a concussion, and a plethora of other injuries he'd acquired from failing the course.

The course was one of the most difficult in all of China. It was built to train the most infallible warriors; it was not to be taken lightly.

The others contemplated whether they should let Saber try or not.

Po eventually voiced an answer, "Sure, why not?"

The Five gave him a look of disbelief. Honestly, he was quite curious to see whether Saber was skillful enough to run the course. Although he was a mercenary, that didn't necessarily equate Kung Fu skill.

"Sweet. Thanks man," Saber beamed as he gave Po a thumbs up.

As soon as the white tiger walked over to the start of the course, the Five gathered around Po. He couldn't get a word out before being bombarded with their concerns.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"What if he gets injured?"

"This could end badly."

Po waved them off.

"Guys, guys, he's a trained fighter, I'm sure he is very capable. Have some faith in your friend," he advised.

"You guys ready?" Saber called. They all quickly turned to watch him, their eyes glued to his figure. Mantis went over to the timer, ready to start it.

Po held up his hand, "Ready…Begin!" and his arm went down, signaling the start.

Mantis started the clock and Saber took off in an instant.

The Five watched in awe as he zipped through the course. His form was a blur as he sped through the swinging clubs and then the talon rings. He skipped along the edge of the jade tortoise before expertly weaving through the wooden warriors. Finally, he jumped through the fiery field and landed on the platform.

"Time!" Po announced.

The Furious Five were in complete awe of the skills demonstrated by Saber.

Mantis burst out laughing, "Hahahaha, he beat Tigress's time!"

This raised everyone's eyebrows. Monkey rushed over to Mantis and looked at the timer before breaking out in a happy dance. Viper slithered over and Crane followed, they both glanced at the time.

Viper gave a faint smile, "Wow."

"That is quite impressive." Crane nodded in agreement.

Tigress and Po walked over and they both saw the time.

Tigress huffed in slight annoyance but eventually she broke out into a smile. Po just tilted his head.

'Not bad' he thought.

Saber's time was exactly 1:33.00 minutes.

The Five were enthralled about this.

"You've got to teach us some of those moves man!" Monkey exclaimed, patting the tiger on the back.

The others soon agreed eagerly.

"I second that!"

"Definitely!"

"Some advice would be generous."

Saber just smiled before waving his hands in a calming manner.

"I would be glad to, as long as it's okay with the big guy."

He quickly looked at the panda on his right. Po shrugged his shoulders in a neutral manner.

"If that's what you guys want."

As soon as the words left his mouth, the five circled around Saber, and began asking him questions.

"How did you do that spin?"

"Have you ever practiced on a course like this before?"

"Can you show us that flip you did at the beginning?"

Saber quickly interrupted the bombardment, "Whoa, Whoa, one at a time!"

The masters soon zipped their lips and began listening intently as the white tiger began answering their queries.

Po just watched the scene with a raised eye-brow. They were never this enthusiastic when he was teaching.

'Whatever,' Po dismissed the topic.

Seeing no point in staying any longer, he turned around and left through the doors.

The Dragon Warrior was greeted by a cool breeze as he exited the hall. The sun was high in the sky now, and it shone intensely, warming Po's fur from the late autumn weather.

After filling his lungs with fresh mountain air, Po let out a deep sigh.

'What to do now?' he thought.

He began to walk around the vast palace aimlessly. A bored look was plastered on his face, as he ambled. After passing through the hall of heroes, his gaze came across the scroll room. He had always hated reading the scrolls, preferring to just _do_ Kung-Fu rather than read about it.

However as time had gone on, he had learned the importance of learning new techniques and reading through them.

'Why not?' Po mentally shrugged before entering the room.

It seemed more spacious than the last time he had been inside. Then again, it had been demolished and rebuilt, so an exact replica of the former room wasn't very likely.

"How many scrolls are in here?" he wondered aloud.

 **'Including the scrolls of Kung-Fu? Roughly two thousand, five hundred twenty-five,** ' Red responded dully.

"How-" Po asked before being cut off.

 **'I heard big-ears rambling about it the other week.'**

Po shut up after this and just scanned the rows upon rows of scrolls. He was way behind in this department. The others didn't read very often, but compared to him, they were scholars.

Monkey was the worst of the five with only 152 scrolls under his belt. He followed closely behind Viper, who had read 167 scrolls. Next was Mantis with 201 scrolls and Crane with 274 scrolls. In first place unsurprisingly, was Tigress, with a whopping 945 scrolls; more than the others combined. These numbers absolutely decimated Po's pitiful 13 scrolls read.

Sighing, Po walked up to the front shelf and pulled out scroll number 14. He turned around and strolled over the lounge chair before plopping down.

'Better get started. I've got a lot of catching up to do,' he thought drearily.

* * *

Shifu wiped a bead of sweat from his greying brow. He closed his eyes listening to the calm current of the river, parting against the bow of the passenger ship; a vessel in which he had traveled for the last stretch of his trip. As the boat glided around the final stretch of the river, the towering mountain range along the canal ended, resulting in a wave of sunlight.

The aging grandmaster shielded his eyes from the sudden harsh rays being emitted from the golden orb in the sky.

"Port arrival in ten minutes!" yelled the captain from above.

Ahead of them stood a gorgeous city of architecture and edifices ahead of its time. The sunlight reflected off the metropolitan area, resulting in a remarkable display of beauty.

After several days of voyaging he had finally made it; Gongmen City.

The ten minutes passed by in the blink of an eye and the boat docked on the front end of the harbor.

Shifu grabbed his travel pack, before rummaging inside and retrieving a substantial sack of yen. The red-panda then walked toward to exit of the boat, where the captain was waiting.

The captain was a peculiar fellow. Jeffrey was his name. He was a beaver, most likely in his late thirties, with one of the strangest accents that Shifu had ever encountered. He wasn't from around here either. According to the Jeff, he was from far out west across the endless Indian Ocean. As delusional as he sounded, he was quite amusing, so Shifu put up with him despite his antics.

The beaver gave the older man an awkward hug, before putting him down and showing a crooked smile.

"It's been an hona grandmasta! I wish yuh luck on da rest of yo journey," Jeff slanged.

After dusting himself off, Shifu gave the beaver a deep bow in thanks.

"No the honor is mine. You've provided me a welcome and…interesting experience to say the least," Shifu replied with a faint smile, handing over the sack of coins.

Jeff just shook his head, "No need for dat good sir. Providin a service fo' a noble masta such as yo self is payment enough."

Shifu gave a faint look of surprise before gently, but forcefully placing the sack of money in the beaver's hands, "I insist."

Beaver scratched the back of his head in bashful manner, "Well I say dis is one of da dern nicest things anyone's eva done fo' me. Is it really mine?"

"Absolutely, it's yours to spend."

"Well gosh darn! I sure old Betsy could use some patchin' up. Don't yuh dearie?" Jeff rattled on before giving the worn out boat a couple of pats.

Instantly, one of the hanging lanterns broke off and fell down; shattering on the deck.

Jeff just stared blankly at the spot. Shifu gave a brief smile before exiting out of the boat onto the pier. As planned, waiting on the pier was Grandmaster Ox's new apprentice, ready to escort him to the palace.

A snow leopard in her teens, she was wearing a light blue silk training vest embroidered with white trimming; Nicki was her name.

"Hello grandmaster! It's an honor to meet you in person," she beamed. The feline quickly bowed in respect for the elder master.

"It is a pleasure to meet you as well," Shifu returned giving her a slight nod.

Soon after, he went over his mental checklist to make sure he had all of his belongings before looking back to her, only to see her intently looking around behind him.

"Is something the matter, my dear?" he inquired.

The female apprentice was jolted by Shifu's voice. She soon recovered and gave him an inquisitive look.

"Oh! I was just wondering where the Dragon Warrior is. I was informed he would be joining you on your travel and I've been looking forward to meeting him in person."

"Naturally," Shifu grumbled.

"What was that?"

Shifu gave her a polite smile, "Unfortunately, the Dragon Warrior needed to remain and watch over the valley in my absence."

"Oh," Nicki murmured, seemingly deflated.

Shifu felt rather rotten. He now remembered that Master Storming Ox had requested the Dragon Warrior's presence due to Nicki's eagerness to be acquainted with the panda. The grandmaster had promised that Po would accompany him on his trip, initially.

However, after Saber's unexpected arrival, Shifu had realized that Po remaining in the valley would be wise. After all, he was sure that the five other masters would be preoccupied catching up with their former friend. Po was just the fail-safe. Better to be safe than sorry.

Back to the present, Shifu gave an apologetic shrug which seemed to go unnoticed. After a few moments of awkward silence Nicki let out a frustrated sigh.

"I suppose we should get going. Follow me," she concluded, far less zealous than before.

The feline then turned tail and headed off down the street, with Shifu in tow.

As one could guess, the combination of an elder and adolescent isn't ideal for conversation. This led to uncomfortable silence and awkward attempts at discussion. Adding to the fact that Shifu was never gifted in small talk, and Nicki was in a sour mood.

Shifu made an effort to start small talk, "The weather is nice today."

"I guess," the feline returned dully.

Not satisfied with her answer, the grandmaster tried a different route, "Do you like Gongmen?"

"Sure."

Shifu was grasping straws at this point. He was now severely regretting not taking Po up on his 'lessons' that he'd offered the older master a few weeks ago. Being a natural socializer, the panda had offered to help his master become more skilled in verbal communication, especially with the younger generation. Unwittingly, he'd declined Po's offer, deeming it unnecessary. Oh, how wrong he was.

'Think, Shifu. What would Po say?' the red-panda thought desperately.

"Do you have a favorite food?" Shifu finally managed to spit out.

Nicki shrugged in an uninterested manner, "Not really."

Shifu gave up after this.

'Forget it! Next time I'll just bring that blasted panda. I'm getting too old for this,' Shifu scowled mentally.

The duo continued to make their way through the crowded streets of Gongmen towards the reconstructed Gongmen Tower, where the Council of Masters was waiting.

Little did they know that a pair of ominous, pitch-black eyes was watching them.

The figure smiled, "Excellent."

* * *

 **A/N: Whew! Finished with Chapter 4! Do you guys like all of the flashbacks or do you find them annoying? Feel free to applaud or criticize me to your heart's content in the reviews.**

 **Hope you all enjoy and I'll catch you later!**

 **Frost2001 out.**


	6. Chapter 5: Egyptian Essence

**A/N: Hey guys I'm back. Unfortunately, I've been sick and out of school. But it does give me time to work on the story. Warning, most updates won't occur as rapidly as the recent two, for this reason. Anyways, so far, this chapter has been the most fun to write for me. I'm finally gonna introduce the Lioness from the Prologue; hopefully you guys still remember her. She was a fun character to write.**

 **As always, Read & Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Dream Works or** **Kung Fu Panda** **. I only own this specific plot and my OCs.**

* * *

 **Chapter 5: Egyptian Essence**

 _The Valley of Peace_

The sun had long disappeared over the western mountains, and the landscape was now illuminated by the pale light of the full moon. As always, the Jade Palace loomed protectively thousands of feet above the valley. Saber and the Five had turned in hours before. The palace in its entirety was dark, albeit one sector; the scroll room.

The expansive room was dimly lit by a wax candle nearing the end of its life. Barely half an inch of wick was left on the pitiful thing and it flickered constantly, as if threatening to die out at any moment.

Sitting at one of the tables in a chair was Po. He looked as if he'd been turned into a Jombie by Kai himself. Not surprising, since he'd been reading scrolls incessantly from morning till midnight. His bloodshot jade eyes were continually scanning the current scroll in his hand; scroll 415. It was primarily about the physical and mental characteristics of different animal species outside of China. The scroll provided the different species' appearances, habitual actions and traits, as well as their strengths and weaknesses. Po had already gone over all the different species in Asia. He'd also learned about species from regions that he didn't know existed, such as "Europe, Oceania, and the Americas". Currently, he was finishing up on Africa. His hands were shaking from exhaustion as he finished up on the scrolls last paragraph.

 _' **Continent:** Africa _

**_Species:_** _Panthera leo_

 ** _Type:_** _Mammal_

 ** _Diet:_** _Carnivorous_

 ** _Common name:_**

 ** _M:_** _Lion_

 ** _FM:_** _Lioness_

 ** _Appearance:_** _…'_

While reading the scroll drearily, Po had been inadvertently shifting it closer and closer to the candle's flame. He didn't take notice until it was too late. The bottom of the scroll ignited in flames.

Po's formerly droopy eyes snapped wide open in shock.

"Oh shoot!" he swore, before beating out the flame on the paper.

Unfortunately, the damage was already done. He tried to make out the rest of the scroll, but it was scorched beyond repair.

"Great," he muttered sarcastically.

Sighing, he rolled up the damaged scroll, and set it to the side. Being a klutz was progressively becoming an utter nuisance. To make matters worse, the candle burnt out seconds later, leaving him in a pitch black room. Too tired to care at this point, Po slumped his head on the table. He fell into a deep slumber soon after.

* * *

 _The Valley of Ra_

 _Egypt, Africa_

The scorching sun baked the dry earth below. Not a cloud in the sky to protect the citizens of the valley from the sun god's wrath.

Years and years ago, the Valley of Ra was a serene province, a fruitful center of trade and wealth. Home to the most efficient education systems and combat academies in all of Africa, the valley in consequence, had access to the smartest scholars and the most proficient martial artists in the land.

Public violence and crime were virtually non-existent. Children could run the streets unsupervised all day. Women and elders could take leisurely strolls at the dead of night without fear of being threatened through verbal or physical means.

Under the rule of King Lux, a lion that was currently in his late forties, the valley had flourished.

It was in short, an absolute utopia.

However, during the current times, it wasn't a paradise, not even close.

The peace was ended and revolution was sparked nearly a decade ago by a crafty individual; Zane Akua, a middle aged black jaguar. He also happened to be the head-master of the combat academy.

Before the conflict had broken out, Akua had been the best-friend of Adam Lux; the current king. Friends since childhood; the two were inseparable. However, as a teenager, Adam was adopted by the royal family and Zane was left alone on the streets.

Years went by. As Adam eventually became successor to the throne, he became a popular and beloved figure among the people. Following his appointment he married a lioness named Luna. Within a year, they conceived a beautiful daughter; they named her Kiara. During this time, Zane grew more and more cynical of his former friend. Zane soon dropped his first name, because of its connection to his past, preferring to go by Akua. The jaguar eventually managed to be accepted into the combat academy. He became head-master within a few short years, through extreme toil; driven by anger and resentment towards the king.

Once he attained the role of head-master, young Akua began to spread rumors and deceit among his students and followers until he had amassed several thousand against the royal family.

As their strength and confidence grew in numbers, he took to action.

 ** _*Flashback (twelve years ago)*_**

 _The night sky was pitch black. A blanket of clouds was blocking out the usual gleam of the moon and stars. Nearing midnight, the valley was lifeless, not a sound, except for the occasional gust blowing against the trees._

 _Five masked figures emerged from the shadows and leapt over the metal gate of the palace grounds. Eventually stopping at the front doors of the palace, the leader pulled down his mask, revealing the face of a black jaguar; Akua. He gave a quick tug on the double doors, only for them to remain rigid; locked._

 _"Okay boys, you know the drill," he ordered off-handedly._

 _The others quickly set up an explosive device and fused it onto the door. The canister consisted of black powder and several other chemicals to increase the blast radius._

 _The group back away and waited. After several seconds, the canister ignited and combusted violently._

 ** _BOOM!_**

 _Both doors and a substantial section of the wall had been utterly demolished._

 _Immediately an alarm bell began to sound._

 ** _Ding! Ding! Ding!_**

 _Akua grinned and unsheathed his scimitar; the others followed suit and readied their weapons. The jaguar quickly rushed inside and quickly scanned the area, the four others behind him._

 _"Alright, you have your orders. Kill anyone who gets in the way, but I want the king and his daughter alive. Got that? Alive! If you can't find them, everyone group at the throne room. I'm sure his majesty will be waiting," he barked._

 _The rest of them nodded in understanding before the group took off, splitting up in different directions._

* * *

 ** _BOOM!_**

 _A frightened lioness cub, no older than nine or ten, jolted awake from the sudden noise. The cub clutched her bedsheets tightly between her small paws as she shivered._

 _Not a second later her mother burst through the door._

 _"Mommy! Mommy! What's that sound?" the young Kiara cried in fear._

 _"Shhh, Darling. It will be alright. Just follow me," the older lioness whispered tenderly before taking her daughter's hand and helping her out of bed._

 _The two lionesses hurriedly exited the room and made their way down the narrow hallway towards the opposite side of the palace, where the back door was located._

* * *

 _On the front end of the palace, Lux stood with a sword drawn and shield raised in the middle of the throne room. As soon as the breach in the palace had occurred, he had told Luna to take Kiara and escape out the back door, while he delayed the invaders. By design, the palace was only accessible through the throne room. In order to get to his family, the intruders would have to get past him first._

 _The doors crashed open revealing Akua and his crooked followers. Behind them on the ground were dozens of mutilated bodies; the royal troops. The subordinates swiftly marched towards the king, only stopping a few meters from him. They then spread out to form a walk-way for their leader, who was still standing outside the opened doors._

 _"Good evening your majesty," Akua called out from across the room._

 _King Lux hesitated before taking a defensive stance, drawing a few chuckles from the others._

 _"I apologize for the mess. I really didn't want to, but those buffoons wouldn't let us inside," the panther quipped, looking down at the corpses._

 _He gave one closest to him a swift kick before walking towards the center of the throne room, where the king resided._

 _Eventually coming face to face with the king, he said, "Why don't you put down your weapon and we can talk through this like civilized men, hmmm?"_

 _The other warriors raised their weapons threateningly, almost daring the king to do otherwise._

 _Lux analyzed his options. He was outnumbered and outclassed. Sure he had a relative amount of fighting experience, but he was pitted up against five master combatants._

 _'Besides, talking may prove to be a better distraction than fighting him,' Lux thought._

 _After a few moments the king gently lowered his shield and sword. They soon clattered to the ground at his feet._

 _Akua just smirked, before scratching his neck with the tip of his scimitar and quickly afterwards burying it through the extravagant rug below and into the floor._

 _He did so while maintaining eye-contact with the king the entire time, "I hope that rug wasn't too expensive," the jaguar apologized sardonically._

 _Deciding not to play along, Lux just shrugged indifferently, "I didn't really like that rug anyways."_

 _Akua's grin dulled slightly at this remark._

 _"Why are you doing this?" the lion tried reasoning with his former friend._

 _Akua gave a mock thoughtful expression while tapping his claw against his chin._

 _"Hmm. That's a hard one. Let me see. You left me on the streets for a place in the royal family. You continued to mock me by becoming a beloved figure. Your entire existence insults me!" he listed off, continually growing louder with each word, almost as if he'd rehearsed it._

 _"Zane-" Lux tried again before being cut off._

 _"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" Akua exploded in an extreme show of anger, slipping from his cool persona._

 _There was dead silence for almost a minute after the jaguar's outburst. No one dared to say a word, in fear of Akua erupting again. Once he had calmed down enough, Akua jerked his sword free from the floor and pointed it at the king._

 _"Don't you dare call me that despicable name. I am Akua. Zane is dead. Zane is the name of the boy that you abandoned long ago," he sneered._

 _"I tried to offer you money, support, a job. You refused it all," the lion argued._

 _Akua slammed his sword onto the ground, "Don't you patronize me! I didn't want your **pathetic** sympathy or pity!" _

_The king became quiet once again, staring at the man in front of him._

 _"Is this what you want? To kill me?" he asked calmly._

 _Akua just gave him a dark smile, "No I don't. I want to rip your worthless heart out of your chest and crush it in the palm of my hand."_

 _He continued, "I am going to kill your wife first. After that I'll kill your daughter…slowly…painfully…and make you watch every second of it."_

 _Lux's eyes darkened at this. A small snarl formed upon his formerly stoic face and his hairs stood on end in a feral anger._

 _"Then I will cripple you; remove your nose, your teeth, and your eyes. But I'll leave you your ears, as a sign of mercy," Akua finished, bringing his smirking face within inches of the king's._

 _King Lux took a deep breath to calm himself and gave a few moments of thought. He looked back towards the panther with a smirk._

 _"You will not lay a finger on them. They are not here," he retorted._

 _However the lion's moment of victory was cut short as Akua began to laugh hysterically. A look of worry began to spread across the king's previously smug face._

 _"You really are a fool," the panther managed to choke out in between his fits of laughter._

 _After calming down from his high, Akua continued, "Do you actually believe that I wouldn't know about the back door? My squadron is waiting for them."_

 _Lux's face paled at this. He quickly made a dash towards the stairs in order to warn his beloved. However, he was promptly stopped by one of Akua's men shooting him in the leg with a bow._

 _The arrow tore through his knee, rendering his entire left leg useless._

 _"Ahh!" the king screamed in agony as he collapsed in a heap._

 _The archer was soon knocked off his feet by a backhand from Akua himself._

 _"You insolent piece of filth! How dare you! I and only I have the right to harm him!" he screamed abuse at his subordinate._

 _The warrior on the ground was trembling, "B-but s-sir, h-he was g-going to get a-away," he stuttered._

 _Akua gripped his sword tightly, "It doesn't matter. He is still confined to the palace!"_

 _While Akua and his men were distracted, King Lux managed to slip away._

 _After scrambling up the stairs, the king started limping towards the posterior section of the palace._

 _'Must warn them,' he thought desperately._

* * *

 _Luna and Kiara had finally arrived at the back door. Even from across the palace they could hear Akua shouting abuse._

 _Kiara was beginning to cry, "Mommy, where's Daddy?"_

 _Her mother quietly hushed her, "Shhh, child. Your father is trying to keep us safe."_

 _Luna then led her daughter over to the doors, unlocked, and opened them. To their dread a group of a dozen warriors stood outside waiting for them. The queen tried to shut the door, but it was too late. The hostiles forced their way in and began trudging towards them._

 _Kiara was frozen in fear, before being snapped out of it by her mother's calming yet firm voice, "Sweetie, step behind me."_

 _"Mommy, I'm scared."_

 _"Shhh, everything is going to be alright," Luna assured her._

 _One of the warriors stepped forward, sword in hand._

 _"Leave us alone!" Luna hissed._

 _"Sorry lady, but orders are orders," he said before bringing his sword down in a deadly arc towards the queen. Kiara screamed._

 _Seconds later, a massive brown figure rammed through the crowd of soldiers and scooped up the queen and princess, before taking off down the hall._

* * *

 _King Lux was almost there, the back door was just around the corner._

 _"Ahhhhh!" screamed Kiara._

 _'No! No! No!' he thought dreadfully._

 _He turned the corner expecting to see the worst, only to see a crowd of toppled enemies and a large figure rushing towards him. The being had both Luna and Kiara in his arms. It quickly scooped him up as well and continued its sprint down the hallway._

 _Eventually the figure carried them into one of the guest rooms and set them down. It then shut and barricaded the door, before lighting a lamp._

 _The being was none other than a brown bear, Ted, one of the royal servants. He was by far the most friendly and like-able of their staff._

 _"Teddy?" questioned Kiara._

 _The bear gave her a crooked smile, "Yes, little one."_

 _The young cub ran up to the bear and tried to give him a hug. After realizing the size difference, she settled on giving it to his leg._

 _Ted just gave a quiet chuckle._

 _The King Lux propped himself against a shelf in order to stand._

 _"Ted, I am eternally grateful, but how did you get here?" he asked._

 _"Well ya see sir. I heard da sounds of explosions n'such and the othas left and abandoned the palace, but not old' Ted. Nope, I stayed cuz I realized da dangers that cud befall ya'll. And I'm sure glad I stayed, yessir," the bear finished his monologue._

 _The king nodded in understanding, before a sharp groan caught his attention. He turned to see his wife trying to stand, but grabbing her side in pain. Her gown's side was soaked red and the liquid was pooling around her feet._

 _King Lux immediately tried to stride over to her; he would have collapsed under his bad leg if not for Ted catching him._

 _"I gotcha sir," Ted assured before helping him over to Luna._

 _The female lioness looked extremely pale and was very weak._

 _"Ted could you please, lay me on the bed," Luna croaked. The bear swiftly did so._

 _Soon afterwards, Lux pealed back her gown to reveal a severe gash through her stomach. It was very deep and the queen looked like she had lost at least a pint of blood at this point. King Lux's mouth and throat were dry from fear._

 _Kiara who hadn't been paying attention to the adults' conversation looked up, only for Ted to shield her eyes, "Don't look little one."_

 _The king was frantic. He was limping around the room, trying to find something, anything to help his wife. He quickly got a rag and applied pressure to the wound._

 _"You're gonna be alright darling. It's nothing more than a scratch," he stammered, trying to convince himself more than her._

 _The queen gave him a faint smile and brought her hand up to the king's cheek, "My love, we both know that isn't true."_

 _Lux almost cried at this. He bit his lip as he went over the situation in his head for a solution. He came up empty._

 _"You and Kiara were supposed to escape and live your lives. This isn't according to plan," he mumbled._

 _Luna shook her head with a smile upon her features._

 _"Dear, you are always so uptight. Sometimes life doesn't go according to plan."_

 _After finishing her statement she coughed up some blood. Lux wiped it from her face._

 _"Let me say goodbye to Kiara."_

 _He nodded before giving Ted a nudge. The bear, albeit reluctantly, took away his hand and hoisted the younger lioness onto the bed._

 _"Hello dear," Luna gave her daughter a smile._

 _Kiara was worried sick. She crept over to her mother and gripped her hand tightly._

 _"Mommy, what's happening?" she murmured._

 _Luna looked over to her husband and him back at her. They didn't know what to say. Ted just looked at the scene feeling helpless. If only he had gotten to the queen a second sooner._

 _Eventually the queen answered, "Mommy's going to be gone for a while."_

 _Kiara looked scared "Why? I don't want you to go."_

 _The cub then hugged her mother tightly, refusing to let go._

 _Luna stroked Kiara's head tenderly, "I don't want to go either honey, but it's for the best."_

 _"Will you ever come and visit?"_

 _"No, I can't. But I will always be with you in spirit."_

 _Tears began to well up in Kiara's unique magenta eyes._

 _"Will I never see you again?" Kiara cried._

 _"I didn't say that. One day we'll meet again. I can't say when, but I promise it will happen," the queen gave her daughter a tight hug with her arm._

 _The rush of adrenaline from the recent events had worn off, leaving little Kiara exhausted._

 _"I'm tired," the cub yawned. Her eyes were beginning to droop._

 _"That's alright sweetie. You can sleep," Luna whispered. Soon the child was fast asleep. Ted came over and gently lifted her off the bed and into his arms._

 _The king took Luna's hands in his as a final sign of farewell._

 _"Can you sing for me, one last time?" she asked weakly. Lux gave her a quick kiss and nodded._

 _Clearing his throat and wiping his tears, he sang in their native tongue, "Ha ooyin. Hal maalin ayaan kula kulmi doonaa mar kale. Waxaad tahay xiddig samada. Waxaad tahay malag. Anigu waan ku jeclaan doonaa noloshaan iyo tan xigta. Hal maalin ayaan kula kulmi doonaa mar kale," at this point tears were falling freely down his face._

 _"Thank you," Luna mouthed._

 _She gave his him one last smile before letting out a final breath and drifting off into eternal slumber._

 _"Goodbye, Luna," the king whispered; heartbroken._

 _Suddenly there was a banging at the door, "Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!" The solid acacia wood trembled against the force behind the door._

 _"Ya'll must go sir," Ted informed Lux, quickly handing the sleeping Kiara to the king. The bear then strode over to the wall and gripped one of the stone blocks. Only a creature the size of Ted could have removed the slab. Grunting, he pulled the enormous block out, revealing a passage way. He ushered them into the tunnel and hurriedly wrapped up Luna in the silk covers of the bed and gently gave her to Lux._

 _"Give her a propa burial sir," he told the king. Lux nodded in thanks._

 _The tunnel was a tight squeeze, barely big enough for Lux to crouch in, and a thought occurred to the king._

 _"How are you going to get out?" he asked the bear. Ted gave him a sad smile. They were running out of time. The door's hinges were giving out as Akua and his crew kept forcing the door to open._

 _"Sir, I'm not," he answered in acceptance._

 _Lux was shocked, "But-"_

 _Ted held up his hand, "I realized what I was gettin myself into. But I knows it was worth it. I'd do it all ova again. Yu brang me in off the streets, gave me food, and a roof ova my head. I may've been a slave, but I was a damn lucky one, yessir. Yu and the royal family were the dern nicest people I've eva met."_

 _King Lux was speechless, never had he met someone so selfless. Ted as a slave, showed more character than any royal figure persona he'd ever met. Lux then felt Kiara stir in his arms._

 _"What about Kiara? She loves you like a brother?"_

 _"Tell her I'm goin away for a while like her momma. And that she'll see me again one day," Ted stated taking a quick glance at the door. Then looking back to the king he realized he'd been forgetting something. Reaching into his worn coat's pocket, Ted pulled out a finely crafted stuffed panda bear with a tag that read 'From: Uncle Ted'_

 _"I almost forget, give her dis. I got it from a travelin merchant from China," Ted stated with a final smile._

 _King Lux returned the smile and for the first time in his life, he bowed his head to another._

 _Ted then took hold of the stone slab and forcefully shoved it back into the wall, eliminating any trace on the remaining royal family. King Lux holding both a sleeping Kiara and Luna, slowly fled through the passage._

 _The door finally gave way and crashed open. Dozens of soldiers poured into the room and immobilized the bear through their sheer numbers. Akua stepped into the room and cast a glance at the bear. Slowly walking up to the immobilized giant, the panther snarled at him._

 _"Where…are…they?"_

 _"They gone."_

 _Akua seemed infuriated by this answer. Drawing his sword he held the weapon high above his head ready to strike. Ted just looked at him peacefully resigned to his fate._

 _"Anything else to add slave?" asked the tyrant._

 _Ted let a thoughtful expression cross his face, before nodding. He smiled at Akua and stated with perfect enunciation, "Long live King Lux and Princess Kiara."_

 _Akua's eye twitched and he brought down his sword, driving it into the bear's skull._

 ** _*Flashback End*_**

As per Ted's last wish, Lux gave Luna a proper burial. After escaping, the king rallied together his remaining forces and those who supported him against Akua. The city was left divided between King Lux in the East and Akua in the West. Conflict spread from the city throughout the entire country of Egypt. Unfortunately, not only was King Lux's side heavily outnumbered, but the majority of combat academies and trained fighters sided with the rapscallion; Akua. War had torn through the Valley of Ra for over a decade now, never ceasing. To make things worse, King Lux's mental health was steadily deteriorating. After the death of Queen Luna, something in the king had snapped. He became obsessive, unnecessarily cruel, and paranoid. In short, he became something that he once despised. And now, he was slowly but surely losing the war effort.

Before the war, the Nile River divided the town, both sides benefiting from it. However, subsequently after Akua's revolt, his side managed to gain control of the river; a huge advantage over Lux. Now without the river, the East lacked transportation, trading, and a substantial food and water source that the river once provided. Akua was now just waiting them out, until Lux surrendered due to starvation or dehydration. The king had managed to gain connections with some towns in the Middle East, for supplies, food, and water, but it wasn't enough. Bad enough the mentally unstable king had to deal with the war, but also his increasingly stubborn daughter.

As time progressed, Kiara had matured into a gorgeous young lioness, inheriting her mother's exceptional looks and her father's fierce personality. Naturally, this led to attraction of many suitors from far and wide. She rejected each and every single one of them. Due to her past experiences with men such as Akua, she refrained from having any relations with them. Claiming men were vile pigs and the only good man she ever met, Ted, was murdered by other men.

Unfortunately, when she'd turned fifteen, the king of the City of Byblos offered to aid King Lux in exchange for Kiara to marry his eldest son, Samuel, a leopard in his twenties at the time. Lux agreed, desperate for support. Kiara and Samuel were arranged for a marriage as soon as the princess turned 21. As one could suspect, Kiara absolutely detested this. In short, Samuel was a pompous asshole. Every one of the leopard's visits involved trying to get into the princess's pants. And every time, she sent him packing back to Byblos with sore family jewels. She grew to loathe Akua with all of her being. Every problem in her life had originated from that piece of filth. However, being a twenty year old princess, she had little to no authority in the war effort. Constantly, she searched of ways to aid her father against the fiend, Akua. Coincidentally, defeating Akua would also solve her arranged marriage problem, which doubled her efforts in finding a solution, when one day she stumbled upon an old goat, who was visiting from China.

* * *

It was a mild day in the eastern province of the Valley of Ra. Although winter was on the rise, those in the desert hardly felt a change during the day. In the dead center of the province stood a massive fortress, built to suit the royal family and their advisers. It was a fortress of absolute security. Guards patrolled constantly at all hours, multiple watchtowers surrounded the perimeter, and dozens of cannons (similar to Shen's) protruded from each reinforced stone wall. However, the most secured area was the south tower. There was only one entrance and one exit; which was guarded at all times by two elite bodyguards. This was the room of Princess Kiara.

Her room quite luxurious, but fairly simple considering that she was royalty. In the room, on the left wall was a desk with paperwork, a door to the right of the desk led to a bathroom/sauna. In the center of the chamber laid a queen sized bed. To its right, a wardrobe of countless items of clothing that she'd never and will never wear. The feline in question was laying on her bed staring at the ceiling in boredom. The princess as previously stated, was extremely attractive in both her looks and figure; even if she wasn't aware of it. Her coat, a remarkable golden shade, was as soft as silk. Her features were stunning, especially her magenta eyes that seemed to possess a hypnotic glow. Unlike most girls down in the valley that flaunted their bodies shamelessly, she always wore loose fitting clothes to hide her shapely figure. Surprisingly, the lioness was quite short, barely five feet. Her father was quite tall, standing at roughly six feet and her mother had been close to six feet as well. Nonetheless, the princess possessed a fiery attitude that made up for her vertical challenge.

Kiara was playing with her golden chain necklace, which also held the ring Samuel had given her. She had refused to wear it on her hand, so her father made her wear it on the necklace to show that she was 'taken'.

"Ah!" she groaned in frustration. There was nothing to do here and she was never allowed to go outside due to the 'great risks' that could befall her, as her father would say.

Kiara snorted in derision. So what if they were at war with that scumbag panther? The east side of the city was perfectly safe. In fact, Akua hadn't led a frontal assault on the east in over a year now. Sighing, the feline threw herself out of bed and sauntered over to the balcony; one of her few freedoms. In her hands she was holding 'Mr. Bear', the stuffed panda-bear that Ted had gotten her. He had been the nicest man she'd ever known, and he'd left her with a gift that she would cherish forever. Opening the doors, Kiara stepped out onto the balcony eighty feet above the ground below. Sunlight lit up the landscape, mostly sand dunes, out in the east. She tediously scanned the town below as she pet Mr. Bear.

"Can't get any worse than this, right bud?" she asked the stuffed bear.

No response.

Plopping down onto one of the balcony chairs, the lioness continued, "I really wanna get out of here. Got any ideas?"

There was no audible reply from the bear, but Kiara's eyes lit up brightly.

"That's an excellent idea, Mr. Bear!" she congratulated. Quickly, she hopped up off of the chair and zipped back into her room. Setting the stuffed animal down onto her desk, the princess then opened up her dresser and began to pull out dozens of sheets.

After a few minutes of toil, she was finished. The final product was a crudely constructed cloth rope. She coiled it around her shoulder and walked out onto the balcony. Securing one end to the stone railing, she tossed the coil over the side. It plummeted downward, unraveling all the way until stopping a few feet off the ground.

"Sweet!" the princess beamed.

However, she froze at the sound of a voice outside her room's door.

"Princess it's time for your lunch!" called one of the guards. Kiara scrambled back into the room, before replying in her calmest voice, "Of course, I'll be out in a few moments. I'm changing."

There was a moment of pain-staking silence before he answered, "Alright, take your time. There's no rush princess."

Kiara let out a sigh of relief before stepping over to her wardrobe. Technically, she wasn't lying, she was changing. However, she was changing into more suitable attire for roaming around the common village. Taking off her light blue silk dress, she changed into a worn white skirt and top. Afterwards, covering herself with a brown cloak, she quickly slipped on her sandals. Taking a quick glance around the room to make sure she hadn't forgotten anything; she noticed her purse sitting on her desk. Shrugging, she went over and grabbed the sack before she walked out onto the balcony, closing the balcony's door behind her. Kiara flipped the cloak's hood over her head and covered her lower face in a scarf; concealing all of her appearance except her eyes; before taking firm hold of the cloth rope and climbing down.

A few minutes later, the guard was curious of the silence in the princess's room, "Princess Kiara, are you ready?"

There was no answer. After a few more moments, the armored guard burst in, only to find the room abandoned. He frantically searched the place, looking for her. He checked in the wardrobe, under the bed; even in the bathroom. She was gone. The guard threw open the balcony doors, and something blowing in the wind caught his eye. Carefully, he walked over to see a bed sheet hooked to the railing. Upon further inspection, it turned out to be a chain of bed sheets, stretching all the way down to the ground. The guard groaned in realization.

"I'm in **so** much trouble."

* * *

Kiara discreetly made her way through the crowds of bustling people in the town's marketplace. She gave a faint smile as she took in her surroundings. This was so much better than being confined in a room all day.

 ** _Clang! Clang! Clang!_**

Hearing an interesting noise, the princess turned around and walked through the crowds toward the sound.

Finally stopping, she watched in fascination as a blacksmith toiled away, hammering a bar of red-hot metal into a sword blade. He was a wolf in his forties, his black coat fading to gray as a sign of his age. After he finished hammering the metal piece; he dunked it into an oil bath before looking up at the curious young feline.

"Hello, young lady. You seem fascinated," he said in a friendly-manner, while wiping his grimy hands in a cloth. Kiara's magenta eyes widened, as she realized she'd been caught staring. She gave a slight nod towards the blacksmith, hoping he wouldn't recognize her. After all, her eyes were a dead give-away to her identity.

The wolf smiled at her, "Well a lovely young lady like yourself definitely needs some type of protection. I think I have just the thing," he hurried off to the back of his workshop tent.

Kiara was tempted to leave, but she disregarded the idea. Not only was that suspicious, but extremely rude. No, she would wait this out and hope that this man didn't put two and two together. Quickly, she checked to make sure her hood and scarf were still in place. Satisfied, she folded her hands together awaiting the blacksmith's return.

After a few moments, he walked back in past the tent's flap with an interesting item. It was held in leather sheath with a back strap. He handed it to Kiara with a cheeky grin. She took the sword cautiously, never having handled something like this before.

The weapon was a bigger than a dagger, but rather small to be considered a full sized sword. It measured at roughly two feet long, maybe a fraction longer. However, unlike most swords and daggers, this blade appeared to have an arc in it. She then took notice to the remarkable hilt of the weapon. It was polished hickory with carved grooves so it melded to the users grip. A bronze pommel was fused to the wood on the end of the hilt as a finishing touch. Curious as to what the blade looked like, she unbuckled the sheath

"May I?" she asked.

The blacksmith didn't stop her, "Why of course, young one," he motioned for her to continue.

Kiara gave a swift tug and released the blade from its prison, she was left in awe. It was beautiful. The curved blade was a fuse of two metals, one a golden color and another silver.

"Wow," she hummed.

The blacksmith looked very proud, "Yes! It's probably my best ever work. It's called a Khopesh sword. It's composed of two metals; both imported. One from Japan called tempered steel, and another from Rome called tempered bronze. These two metals, after fusing, created a stronger alloy, which is what this blade is composed of," he prattled.

Kiara didn't really understand what the excited wolf had said, but she did find the weapon quite appealing. She sheathed the beautiful creation, before setting it down on the workshop table.

"How much?" she inquired.

Smiling the wolf clasped his hands together, "Usually 2500 drachmas, but for a lovely young lady as yourself I'll only charge 500," he said with a grin.

Kiara's eyes widened in shock from his generosity.

'That's all?' she thought.

Then again, she was royalty her entire life, so maybe she couldn't be a judge in these type of matters. Nonetheless, this man had been extremely nice to her and was offering her a remarkable deal.

She smiled, although the man couldn't see because of her scarf, and poured 500 gold drachmas out of her purse and handed it to him.

Thanking her with a nod, the wolf the motioned for her to come in closer; she obliged. He handed her the weapon before whispering, "It's been a pleasure doing business Princess Kiara. Stay safe," he finished with a wink, before walking back into his work tent.

Kiara's mouth was left hanging open. Was she really that obvious? Shaking her head, the lioness grabbed the sword off the table and strapped it to her back, under her cloak. Before leaving, she deposited another 3000 drachmas onto the humble blacksmiths work table, before taking off into the crowds.

Seconds later, the blacksmith burst back out of his tent, "Before you go, would you like if-" he stopped and looked around. She was gone.

He was about to leave back into his tent, before a bright gleam caught his eye. In front of him, stood a mountain of gold on his work table. His jaw came unhinged at the sight, never had he seen so much gold in his life. Knowing the source of the wealth, the wolf scratched the back of his head, "May the gods bless you princess," he prayed before collecting the money and heading back inside.

* * *

A mile or so outside of town was a sizable tropical oasis. The crystal blue water sparkled from the rays of the afternoon sun. She'd discovered it as a teenager after her first time of sneaking out. This area was a hidden gem, even though the oasis was within a considerably close proximity of the eastern path. The path was rarely used, especially since the start of Akua's conflict. Kiara was sitting on a small boulder under the shade of a patch of palm trees, admiring how the blade of her newly bought sword reflected the light.

As she admired the blade, her mind was up in the clouds.

'Why won't my father trust me enough to fight against Akua?' she pondered. The princess just shook her head, 'He's too stubborn, that's why. We need combatant aid from other countries, but he's too prideful to ask,' she internally ranted. This continued for almost half an hour before something caught her attention.

The sound of a creaky wagon wheel brought Kiara out of her thoughts. Through the silence and serenity of the oasis, the lioness heard the noise getting closer, coming from the eastern path; a path that connected the Valley of Ra with the Middle East and Asia.

Kiara's quickly hopped off the boulder and hid in a patch of bushes. Peeking out of the bush, her eyes narrowed in suspicion as she scanned the landscape, trying to determine where the noise was originating.

A few minutes later, an old goat-lady appeared, making her way over the hill with a small wagon she was pulling behind her. Kiara let out a sigh of relief, feeling a little silly.

'It's just an old lady,' she scolded herself.

The old lady continued dragging the shabby cart, making her way down the path until she was only a dozen or so feet away from the hiding lioness. That was when the cart finally gave out. All four of the wobbly wheels collapsed under the wagon's weight. To make matters worse, a sum of her items had dispersed along the ground. The goat lady turned around in shock, "blasted wagon!" she hollered in distress.

Kiara felt rather bad for her. Thinking about the situation, the lioness shrugged, 'Might as well help her. After all she's a traveler, so my identity won't be at risk.'

Kiara exited the bush, but not before she pulled down her hood and pulled back her scarf.

'No need to look suspicious,' the princess reasoned.

She quickly jogged over to the old lady and her broken wagon. The goat didn't notice, being hunched over trying to pick up some her dropped belongings. As Kiara came to a stop, the feline smoothed out her hair and clasped her hands together, thinking of what to say. Unsurprisingly, being confined to a room 24/7 had left the princess lacking in the social skills department.

"Hello, um…would you like some help ma'am?" she finally said, in a kind voice.

The goat lady spun around in surprise of the feline's sudden appearance. She soon recovered and gave the younger woman a sincere smile, "That would be lovely."

As the two gathered fallen items off the ground, Kiara asked, "Are you planning to fix the wagon and head into town?"

The only lady thought for a moment before shaking her head, "I **was** planning on setting up my house in the Valley ahead, but this old junk wagon is past its expiration date anyways."

Kiara gave a slight frown, "What will you do?"

The two had finally finished stacking all the items into the cart, before the goat lady sat down on it, patting the spot next to her. Obliging, the lioness sat by her.

"Well I've decided to set up my home in this oasis here. It's a perfect source of water and food," she said confidently, before rising and grabbing a shovel from her wagon she started to walk over to a flat area under a groove of palm trees.

"Right now?" Kiara called in surprise.

The old lady cackled in amusement, "Well, I have to start sometime, don't I?"

Kiara had a confused frown on her face before shrugging. The old lady had a point. She then began to internally debate whether she should help the lady. Looking up in the sky, she noticed that the sun was still at its peak, there was probably a good six or seven hours of daylight left. Making a decision, she hopped up and grabbed another shovel out of the wagon before trekking over to the goat lady.

'I don't have anything better to do anyways,' the princess internally shrugged.

"Would you like some help with this?" Kiara offered with a smile.

The goat lady just smiled in return, "You truly are a blessing child, and please, call me Carol."

* * *

It was almost dark by the time the two had finished. Kiara was absolutely astounded by the old lady. Despite appearing almost fifty years her senior, Carol had managed to do all the heavy lifting and tiring work.

The house had been completely built and filled with some of the old lady's furniture. It was a rather simple abode. The foundation and chimney were composed of stone blocks from the wagon; the walls were simply logs of the palm trees. Finally, the roof was built with mostly palm leaves that were weaved together. The inside had a small living room with two chairs and a couch with a fire place on the left. A kitchen with a small dining area made up the space on the right. And the bedroom was an enclosed space in the far back of the small house, with a bathroom as well.

Both Carol and Kiara were covered in dirt and sweat from the hard work.

"Dear would you like to come inside?" the goat asked kindly.

"I wouldn't want to intrude," Kiara began.

Carol waved her comment aside, "Oh, nonsense! Come, I'll fix you something to eat, while you clean up in the bathroom."

The goat virtually dragged the lioness inside, before shutting the door. Carol then went over to the stove and got out a pot and some ingredients.

"Make yourself at home dear," Carol hummed.

"Thank you," the lioness returned before heading towards the bathroom.

After a much needed bath in Carol's makeshift bathroom, Kiara came out feeling quite refreshed. The princess walked back into the dining room to find Carol setting a bowl of steaming soup on the table. The older lady turned around smiling, "Here you go babe, I'm going to take a quick shower and then we can talk for a bit," she informed, before disappearing into the bathroom.

Kiara smiled, 'What a wonderful lady,' she thought to herself. Seconds later, she dug in. The soup was absolutely delicious and it was so different to the typical soups in Egypt. Usually soups were composed of chunks of vegetables and meats such as fish. However this soup had strands of pasta in it! It was definitely a welcome change. Due to having a royal upbringing, Kiara was normally very well mannered. Not this time. She began to scarf the food down hungrily at an alarming rate. She didn't even notice Carol as the goat came out of the bathroom.

"Oh, my, someone likes my noodle soup," she joked. Kiara froze in place, before grabbing a napkin and wiping her rosy red cheeks.

"Sowy 'bout thad," the princess mumbled through a full mouth, her blush growing darker.

The older woman sat down at the table and chuckled loudly. After a calming herself down, Carol smiled, "Don't worry about it. It's quite the compliment."

This time, Kiara swallowed the food before replying, "Thank you again for this food."

Carol shook her head, "No, It's the least I could do. Tell me dear, I never caught your name."

The lioness was silent for a moment in thought.

'Should I tell her my real name?' she thought warily. Eventually, she shrugged, Carol wasn't a danger.

"My name's Kiara ma'am," she replied honestly.

"Kiara? That's a lovely name," Carol complimented.

The two girls hit it off for the next hour, talking about a range of subjects, until a certain topic was brought up that interested the lioness greatly.

"Are there a great deal of bandits around these parts?" Carol asked in interest.

Kiara shook her head firmly, "No, not on the eastern side of the province."

Carol nodded looking rather relieved at the news. Before she got up and walked around the house, closing all the windows. It was nighttime now and the temperature was dropping by the second.

Grabbing two pieces of flint, Carol walked over to the fireplace and knelt down. After a few tries, she sparked a flame, which eventually spread and lit the log on fire, resulting in a wave a welcoming heat that dispelled the cold night air.

Sitting down on the couch, Carol motioned for Kiara to join her. Standing up from the table, the lioness walked over and sat down on the couch, in the comfort of the fireplace.

Carol continued the conversation shortly after, "Well that's good, I don't think the Dragon Warrior's authority extends this far out west anyways," she joked. Kiara, who had been staring at the fireplace, quickly looked back at the goat, her ears perked.

"Who?"

Carol turned to her with a raised eye-brow, "You don't know of the Dragon Warrior?"

Kiara simply shook her head, "Who is he?"

Carol smirked at the younger lady, "Well… he's the greatest warrior in all of China. I've never seen him in person, but I've heard of stories depicting him."

Kiara was now on the edge of her seat in excitement, 'Could this be the sign I've been hoping for?' she thought.

Carol scratched her head, "Where to begin? I guess it's best to start at the beginning…

 _' Legend says that the Dragon Warrior is the mantle of godlike power bestowed upon a chosen individual once every generation. According to legend, the current warrior was born from thunder and came down from the heavens above. During the Dragon Warrior Ceremony several years ago, the warrior fell out of the sky in a ball of fire. He would go on to defeat, Tai Lung, the former greatest warrior in all of China. The Dragon Warrior is rumored to have defeated an entire fleet of ships, armed with cannons, with nothing but his bare hands. His greatest feat of all came only a few months ago. An evil god from the spirit world came to rule all of China. However, when he came face to face with the Dragon Warrior, he fled, but the Dragon Warrior chased him back into the spirit world and obliterated him, before returning to the real world,'_

Carol finished. Although the old goat's description wasn't totally true, it was much more accurate than some of the other versions of the story that have been blown way out of proportion.

However, the goat believed every bit of the legend and so did the enthralled princess. The lioness was virtually shaking from excitement at this point. If she could convince her father to recruit this warrior, then victory for the eastern province would be assured!

'This is it! This is the opportunity I've been dying for!' the princess thought joyfully.

"Wow! What's his name, y'know his real name?" Kiara asked in extreme interest.

Carol shrugged, "I have no idea. I've never met him."

Kiara huffed in frustration, before asking another question, "Do you know where he lives?"

Carol shook her head. Kiara seemingly deflated at this. Noticing the younger lady's grief, Carol began again, "But…I have heard rumors of where he resides."

Kiara perked up again, listening intently.

"To my knowledge, he lives in the Jade Palace of the Valley of Peace," Carol said softly.

Kiara calmly nodded, but on the inside she was jumping in delight.

"You wouldn't happen to have a map that shows where this valley is do you?" Kiara asked earnestly. Carol raised an eyebrow, before getting up out of the couch and hobbling over to a crate of some of her belongings.

"I can do you one better," she stated as she rummaged through her various items. Curious as to what the goat was doing, Kiara slowly stood up and walked over to her.

"Where did I put…Aha!" Carol exclaimed, pulling out a small travel sack. She turned around, before handing the gift to Kiara.

"What's in it?" the lioness asked, opening the bag.

Carol smiled before answering, "I assume you want to travel to China and meet him. Am I correct?"

Kiara nodded, not knowing where this conversation was leading. Reaching in the bag she pulled out a large folded paper; the map. Kiara then pulled out a leather pouch, containing a slip of paper with foreign writing on it.

"It's over a 5000 mile journey on foot to the Valley of Peace. I assume that's not to your liking," Carol joked.

Kiara agreed that was a terribly long ways. "What is this?"

"That's a round trip ticket from the port here in the Valley of Ra to the Zhanjiang City's port in China. It's the closest port to the Valley," Carol explained.

Kiara's eye's bulged out of their sockets, this was it. This was both literally and figuratively a ticket to success. She looked at the older lady with absolute gratitude, before enveloping Carol in a tight hug.

"Thank you so much," she effused. Carol just smiled and patted the young lioness's back.

"Why it's no problem dear. You certainly need it more than I do."

Kiara finally released Carol, before glancing at the dark sky through the windows.

"It's getting late, I better head home," the lioness confessed. Nodding, Carol went over to the door and opened it, and they both stepped outside onto the lit porch.

Before her departure, Kiara wrapped the scarf around her face and brought up her hood once again.

"I cannot thank you enough for what you've done," Kiara said as they bid their farewells.

Carol smiled at her, grabbing one of Kiara's hands tenderly.

"Same to you darling and you are welcome here anytime you want. It's not often that I host royalty," she responded knowingly. Kiara's eyes widened and she almost choked on her breath.

"E-excuse me? I'm s-sorry I th-think y-you have me c-confused," Kiara stuttered.

Carol laughed at this, before turning and walking back into her home. "It's quite alright dear. Don't worry, your secret is safe with me," she whispered with a wink before shutting the door.

The princess was left standing there clutching the travel bag tightly. She soon began to make her way back home slightly annoyed.

"Am I really that easy to read?" she questioned out loud.

* * *

It was nearly 10 AM by the time Kiara arrived back at the fortress. The feline was crouching in the bushes outside the gates of the palace as she observed the two guards at the front door. She waited until they turned their heads before scaling the wall and hopping down. Thankfully, the night was almost pitch black due to a thick layer of clouds covering the normally incessant glow of the moon. Slinking along the ground, she scanned the area. As a feline, her senses were naturally more attuned than most other species. She possessed, as most cats do, extremely sharp vision, even in the dark. Her magenta eyes virtually glowed as she watched the guards make their routes along the fortress walls before returning to the front door, standing side by side. After observing them for the next few minutes, Kiara eventually memorized their movement patterns. Eventually, both guards started making their ways around the fortress to secure the east and west walls. Making her move, the princess zipped through the darkness over to the entrance of the castle.

The porch was brightly lit by a pair of hanging torches. Kiara winced as her eyes adjusted to the light before quickly striding over to the door. She felt completely exposed in this light, and she'd rather not spend any more time in it than necessary.

Grasping the handle she tugged firmly; it was locked. Most other people would begin to panic at this; not her. Kiara huffed in annoyance before removing a pin and a lock pick from her undergarments. She knelt down and got to work, time was of the essence. After almost a minute of fidgeting with the stubborn lock, her ears perked up at the faint sound of footsteps.

'Come on you cruddy lock, open!' she thought in exasperation.

The guards' footsteps grew closer and closer. Every instinct was telling her to spin around and check her surroundings, but she couldn't afford to waste any time. Every second was precious. A bead of sweat rolled down the feline's concentrated face as she frantically tampered with the lock. To Kiara's great relief, the lock gave off a subtle click; opening. Not wasting a second, the princess quickly, but silently opened the door and slipped inside.

Moments after she had closed the door, the two guards walked over and stood on the porch. Looking out into the night, the guard on the left let out a quiet chuckle, "Does the princess actually believe she can sneak past without us noticing?"

The rightward guard shook his head with a grin, "I guess it is how they say. Ignorance is bliss."

They both laughed at this. Eventually, they both quieted.

"I guess that was kinda mean, scaring her when she was trying to pick the lock," the guard on the right continued in a rueful voice.

The other nodded, "I suppose. After all, she's gonna have to deal with the king's wrath also."

They both shivered intensely at this.

"Poor kid."

"Agreed."

* * *

Kiara quietly unraveled her scarf, stuffing it in the travel bag Carol gave her. While examining the bag, she realized her father would no doubt question her about it. After thinking, she decided to store the bag for safe keeping, but where? Taking a step forward, Kiara's legs tangled in her cloak tripping her. Thankfully, she caught herself on a large clay vase to the right of the door. It was an old antique filled with some African wild flowers; nothing more than a decoration. Her eyes widened as an idea came to mind.

'Bingo!' she thought with a grin.

Taking hold of the bouquet, she pulled it out of the vase, revealing ample space inside.

She delicately placed the bag at the bottom of it, before another thought came to mind; her sword. Setting the bouquet on the floor, Kiara, with a little trouble, managed to unstrap the weapon and set it alongside the bag in the vase. After replacing the flowers, she tilted her head as she scrutinized the hiding place. Satisfied, she turned and quietly slunk from the entryway past the locked kitchen door and towards the stairs. Unfortunately, she'd overlooked one small detail. She would have to pass the living room in order to reach the stairs. Without a doubt, her father was waiting in said room to give her a telling off. Normally, she avoided this by going through the kitchen, which had another entry way past the living room and right next to the stairs. However, both kitchen doors were locked, probably in anticipation of her usual scheme.

Praying that her father wouldn't notice, she crouched and crept as silently as possible past the doorway of the living room. For a moment, she believed that her endeavor was successful. Unfortunately this wasn't the case.

"Kiara!" a deep voice grumbled from the living room.

The princess winced at her father's tone of voice. She gulped as her wobbly legs carried her towards her ill fate.

"Oh boy," she quietly croaked.

Kiara came around the corner to come face to face with a livid King Lux. She could almost feel the heat radiating off of his being, or maybe it was coming from the raging fire place. Either way, the situation was looking increasingly downhill. A moment of silence dragged on for a small amount of time as the two stared at each other, Kiara with a diffident look and King Lux with a harsh one.

Eventually, the lioness raised her hand and opened her mouth, about to speak, before her father cut her off, "Shut it," he growled in restrained anger. Kiara's her jaw snapped shut and her hand lowered as quick as it had arisen.

"Do you realize how irresponsible, this is?" he began in a low voice.

Before she could reply he continued, "Do you understand how valuable you are? How reckless and dangerous it is for you to be out on the streets?"

Although they'd had this conversation a myriad of times, Kiara had never seen her father so furious. Quite frankly, it scared her.

"Father-" she began, before halting in her speech as her father gave her another muting glare.

"Akua has a ten thousand drachma bounty on your head! Are you unaware of this?" he ranted as he took a step forward.

Finally finding her voice, the princess responded, "But father, defeating Akua is the reason I snuck out! I have learned of a way to win the war."

Crossing his arms, the king wasn't deterred in the least by her claim, "Enlighten. Me," he punctuated each word.

"I have learned of a warrior so mighty, that the sea would part in his wake. I was told by a new comer from China of the warrior's infallibility. The Dragon Warrior," Kiara claimed with a small grin. However, it didn't last.

King Lux didn't bat an eye at her assertion. Actually that isn't true. His right eye twitched slightly in aggravation. He slowly treaded over toward the shrinking lioness.

"That's your big profession? You foolish girl! That's nothing but a folk lore, made to scare felons!"

Kiara was about to retort that she was given a map and location of where the warrior lived. However, at the last moment she bit her tongue. Her father didn't need to know about that small detail.

"But the woman described his feats in such detail," Kiara began hesitantly.

Cutting her off mid-sentence, King Lux looked at her beginning to lose his temper,

"You mean when he defeated an entire ship armada armed with cannons by merely looking at them?"

Kiara closed her mouth and looked down at the floor.

"Or maybe when he defeated a demon from the spirit world by vaporizing it with his stare?"

Although her father's accounts weren't exactly the same as Carol's, they were quite close.

He continued heatedly, "I've heard countless other stories as well. They are fake! The Dragon Warrior **does not** exist!"

Kiara huffed. Her father could say all he wanted; it wasn't going to change her mind. They needed a little faith to defeat Akua. The Dragon Warrior was real; he **had** to be real.

"I have warned you to stop your childish antics, yet you continue to sneak out! This is the last time I say this. You are not allowed to leave your room, much less the fortress!" he fumed.

Kiara, sick of her father's antagonism, retorted, "I can't spend my life trapped in a room! I don't want to waste my life away!"

This only further angered the king, who was virtually steaming at this point. Kiara immediately began to question her decision of talking back.

"Not what you want…Not what you want! I am the king! My word is law! What you **want** doesn't matter!" he barked harshly.

Kiara just as livid now, snapped back, "Are you listening to yourself? You sound like lunatic! Mom must be **so** proud of you, right?"

Surprisingly, this didn't evoke another vocal retaliation from her father. In fact, the king became silent as he stared at his daughter. A calm anger radiated off of his being. In truth, Kiara was much more frightened by this than if he had yelled back.

King Lux just nodded his head slightly, almost in internal confirmation of something. He turned and treaded slowly across the room, aiding his bad leg with his hickory cane; an eternal reminder of the abysmal night over a decade ago. The king made his way over to the fire, which had diminished in strength as their conversation had progressed. Once a raging inferno, it was now nothing more than a docile flame in comparison.

Kiara was befuddled at the change in character as she stood in place, trying to decipher her father's actions.

"You've left me no choice Kiara. You are nearly twenty-one. You are no longer a child," he began softly, before withdrawing an object from his robe.

Kiara froze. In her father's hands he held something invaluable, something that she treasured with all her being; Mr. Bear. What was he doing with Mr. Bear?

Suddenly realization struck the princess. Her gaze met her father's solemn one. Kiara's voice wouldn't work. She tried to tell him to stop, but she couldn't.

"You are an adult now. It's time to start getting rid of childish habits." And with that, he tossed the stuffed animal into the flames.

"No!" Kiara screamed in distress, her voice regaining its function. The lioness dove for the fireplace in an instant, knocking her father out of the way. Without hesitation, she plunged her hands into the flames searching for him. Grabbing hold of the stuffed animal, she quickly retracted her hands out of the flames. Her paws were relatively unscathed, the fur was somewhat singed, but that was about it. Unfortunately, the same couldn't be said for Mr. Bear. Once, in perfect condition, he was now blackened and scorched into an unrecognizable creature.

"Are you crazy?" her father shouted after seeing his daughter immerse her hands in the fire, trying to rescue a mere 'doll'.

Clutching Mr. Bear protectively in one hand, Kiara spun around and clawed him across the face as hard as she could.

"Ah!" the king yelped in pain, as he clutched his face, now oozing blood.

Tears in her eyes, Kiara gave the king a feral snarl. Her magenta eyes looked murderously at the fiend before her. How dare he! There had been many times in her life that Kiara had become infuriated at her father, this instance eclipsed them all.

"You call yourself a King? You are just as much a tyrant as Akua is!" she hissed, before fleeing up the stairs in a blur.

She slammed her door shut and collapsed on her bed; crying. Her body wracked with sobs as she clutched Mr. Bear and caressed him tenderly. Never had she felt so unstable. She was an emotional wreck. After half an hour, Kiara had managed to calm down. She was sitting on the bed and hugging her knees, with Mr. Bear next to her.

"Now what?" she asked herself quietly.

Picking up Mr. Bear, Kiara slid off her bed and walked slowly towards the balcony door. Opening it, the princess walked out onto the platform and was met with the cool night air. Making her way over to the balcony's edge, she tiredly leaned on the stone railing, its cool surface penetrating through the thin cloak she was wearing. She would normally come out here to star-gaze on clear nights. There was just something about watching the shimmering specks of light that soothed her. She was alone in her belief; no one she'd ever met felt the same way. Her father, the advisers at the castle, even commoners that she talked with down in the valley felt the same way; watching the stars was inane and a waste of time. As usual she was an outcast.

Sighing, the lioness gazed up at the sky. Dark clouds covered the heavens; no doubt a storm was brewing. Judging by how the palm trees in the distance were shaking violently from the heavy winds, the storm was not far away.

"Mother? Ted? What do I do?" she called out into the night sky. The only noticeable response was the howling of the wind. Waiting a few moments, the feline tried again.

"Please, give me a sign. Anything!" she prayed to the spirits of her loved ones. For a second nothing happened, until the eastern sky was lit up by a series of lightning bolts, soon followed by deafening thunder.

 ** _Boooooooooom!_**

Kiara smiled, "Thank you Mama and Uncle Teddy."

Many people would have been left clueless to what the sign meant; not Kiara. To her the message was clear. Go to the East and find the warrior of thunder; the Dragon Warrior.

Quickly, the princess stepped back inside. Setting down Mr. Bear, she bounded over to her wardrobe and took out a medium sized leather bag. The lioness then began filling the back with numerous items of clothing and any other essential items that would be necessary on her trip. After everything else had been packed, she gently place the blackened Mr. Bear in the back, along with her purse. Satisfied with her belongings, she set the leather backpack to the side. Dashing over to her dresser, the princess started to pull dozens of sheets out of her dresser (again). She had some work to do.

* * *

King Lux made his way up the staircase towards Kiara's room. He had waited for nearly an hour, hoping that she would be calm by now. Admittedly, throwing her prized possession in the fire may have been a step too far. But she needed to be taught a lesson for constantly disobeying his commands. After all, he was her father and her king. His word was law and she needed to learn some discipline.

Arriving at her door, King Lux knocked several times.

"Kiara, we need to talk," he announced in a firm voice.

His command was greeted with silence. Not taking kindly to being ignored, Lux jerked open the door in a show of losing his patience.

"Young lady, your father is-" the king stopped as he gazed around the room. She wasn't here. An awful realization hit him, before he charged towards the balcony door, not bothering to check anywhere else. He flung open the door and ran over to the railing. As he suspected, a chain of bedsheets that stretched to the ground was hooked to the railing.

"Blasted girl!" cursed the king, before he spun around and headed down the stairs.

"Guards! Guards!" he yelled in urgency. Not a moment passed before several guards came rushing around the corner. They all knelt in respect to their king.

"Yes your majesty?" one of them asked. King Lux grabbed each soldier by the shoulders and picked them up onto their feet.

"No time for that. Kiara has escaped again! Rally the others! We need to secure the perimeter along the eastern sector of the fortress, where her tower is. She couldn't have gotten far!" he ordered the soldier. Lux quickly took off, as quick as his limp would allow, exiting the castle towards the east sector. He was soon followed by a growing group of guards.

As Lux and the dozens of guards arrived at the eastern sector, Lux gave his orders, "Alright spread out and find her! The night time is the most dangerous time for her to be prancing about!"

Everyone began to search frantically for the escaped princess.

* * *

Back in Kiara's room, the entire chamber was dead silent, before a creak came from the wardrobe in the corner of the room. The piece of furniture began to shake back and forth until it fell over on its side.

"Oof!" a muffled grunt came from the toppled wardrobe, before finally one of its doors was kicked open. Inside, was a slightly bruised and quite aggravated Kiara. She slipped out of the wooden dungeon and rubbed her sore shoulder as she slipped her leather bag onto her back.

"Stupid jammed door," the princess muttered irately.

Pushing the worthless wardrobe out of her thoughts, a smile soon formed on her face. She quickly left her room and quietly treaded down the stairs. Poking her head around the corner, she looked around; no one. She smirked in amusement.

'Ha! They totally fell for it!' she mused in glee. However, her grin turned into a grim expression. She needed to get out of here before they came back. Swiftly, she jogged over to the vase that she'd stored Carol's bag and her sword in. Taking out the flowers, the lioness reached in and retrieved both. Opening Carol's bag, she withdrew the map and the pouch holding the ticket. Also recovering her scarf, she wrapped her face once again. After carefully checking to make sure there was nothing else in it, she discarded the bag. Grasping her sheathed sword, Kiara debated whether to strap it on or not. Eventually, she decided to stuff it in her travel pack. After all, she wasn't planning on using it at the moment and it made running quite awkward. Slipping on her bag once again, she opened the door and exited the castle. Scanning the area, it was completely abandoned; no guards.

Letting out a sigh of relief, the feline made a break for the front gate. As she arrived at the gate, she began scaling towards the top. One factor that she hadn't accounted for was that climbing was significantly more difficult when sporting a 20 pound back pack. After a great deal of struggle, Kiara managed to flip over the top of the wall onto the opposite side. Completely winded, the feline took a moment to regain her breath as she crouched outside the gate.

Freezing at the sound of her father yelling, the lioness slowly turned to see him and the guards rushing back into the fortress. Thankfully, in their rush, no one had spotted the crouching princess outside the gates.

"I better get going. They must have realized that it was a ruse," she panted before taking off towards the east harbors.

After almost an hour of non-stop running on all fours, Kiara slowed down to a slow jog, concluding that she'd put enough distance between her and her pursuers. It was almost sixty miles to the harbor. There was no point in exhausting herself for no reason.

Several hours later, the lioness finally arrived at the harbor. Pulling out the ticket, she scrutinized the slip of paper. She couldn't understand a word of it; being a Chinese ticket. However, the number 415 was printed in bold on the ticket; she assumed that was the boat's number. It was fairly simple from there to find the boat, since every boat in the port had a large printed number on its hull. Eventually she found boat 415 docked at the end of the harbor. It wasn't the most luxurious boat there, but it certainly wasn't the cheapest. Shrugging, she walked up the wooden plank and stepped onto the vessel. It took her a moment to get used to the feeling of being on a boat. It was strange how the floor seemed to shift under her feet constantly. After a few minutes, she grew accustomed to it. Steadily she walked over to what she assumed was the captain's cabin and knocked several times.

After of few minutes of no response, the lioness was about to try again, before the door swung open, revealing a cranky middle aged honey badger. Looking up at her with bloodshot eyes, he grunted in annoyance.

"What do you want lassie?" the annoyed badger questioned.

Not dissuaded by the captain's attitude, Kiara gave him a polite bow of the head.

"Is this the ship heading to Zhanjiang City?" she asked politely, while handing the ticket to the captain.

Raising an eye-brow, he snatched the ticket out of her outstretched paw and scrutinized the paper slip. After half a minute, he handed it back to her. Crossing his arms over his chest, the captain yawned.

"Yes this ship is heading to Zhanjiang …in the morning. Now good night," he grumbled before turning and attempting to shut the door.

Kiara rolled her eyes at the man's impudence. Her time was valuable, and she didn't want to take the off chance that her father had learned of her whereabouts. She would feel much more relaxed when she was a hundred miles from Egypt, sailing away. In resolve, the lioness stuck her foot in the doorway impeding the door from closing. Turning back around, the badger gave her an irritated look.

"Is there something else your highness?" he asked her mockingly.

Kiara let out a smirk concealed by her scarf at his choice of words.

'Oh, the irony,' she thought smugly. If this moron had been made aware that he was demeaning the Princess of the Valley of Ra, he would have been paler than the moon in fear. A faint smile graced her lips at the amusing mental image of the captain on his knees begging for mercy. She shook the visual out of mind. After all, advertising your royal heritage was bound to attract trouble.

Reaching into her bag, she pulled out her purse. Haughtily, she seized and dumped roughly 300 drachmas from her pouch into the shocked badger's hands. The formerly rancorous badger was left absolutely speechless.

"When are we leaving?" Kiara inquired innocently. The captain's eyes never once left the pile of wealth in his hands. He stared at it for a few more moments, before finding his voice.

"Right now," he murmured almost to himself. Regaining some of his composure, the badger stuffed the money into his coat before turning to her.

"We'll be leaving shortly, Miss. Your room is on the left of the stairs. My name's Stan, call me if you need anything," he informed her politely, before jogging off to wake up the crew.

Kiara chuckled to herself, as she heard Stan jingle down below deck. Money was the ultimate incentive after all.

The feline briskly walked up the stairs to the upper deck of the vessel. As Stan had said, her room was the first door on the left. Entering, the princess surveyed the place. It was by no means a deluxe room, but it would suffice.

It was a small space, maybe ten feet by eleven. A small window placed on the far wall, allowed her access to the ocean view. There was a washroom and commode in an enclosed space to the right. A rusty oil lamp hung on the wall, dimly lighting the room. Most interesting, instead of a bed, there was a hammock hung up on the left side of the compartment. This was home, for the next month or so.

Kiara quietly set down her bag and closed the door, yawning. It was almost 2 AM and she hadn't realized how tired she was until now. With droopy eyes, the lioness retrieved a blanket and Mr. Bear from her travel pack, before steadily trudging over to the hammock. She sleepily brushed it off, making sure to rid the hammock of any dust and dirt, before lying down. After wrapping herself tightly in the blanket, Kiara held Mr. Bear as she stared wearily out the small window at the night sky and black waves.

A few minutes later the ship began to move, progressively gaining speed, until it was traveling at a reasonable pace down the gulf towards the Red Sea in the south.

Staring out the window, Kiara had a typhoon of emotions swirling inside of her; Fear, Excitement, Anxiety, Hope, and Doubt just to name a few. Her thoughts strayed over to the Dragon Warrior.

'I wonder what he's like?' she wondered. After a few more moments of thought she smiled faintly. The princess tried to visualize the warrior of legend. After half an hour of this, her exhaustion began to take its toll. She had one final thought before entering the realm of sleep.

'I bet he's Mr. Perfect; Kind, Noble, and most of all, **Dignified**.'

* * *

 _The Valley of Peace_

"Zzzzzzzzzzz!"

Rays of sunlight shined through the windows of the Scroll Room of the Jade Palace. Slumped over on the floor of the Scroll Room, lay the snoring Dragon Warrior with drool running down his unconscious face. The penetrating light did little to perturb the resting panda as he rolled over on his side. Unfortunately, as the panda stretched out his right leg, it forcefully bumped up against a shelf full of scrolls. Off balance, the shelf fell forward down onto the slumbering bear.

 ** _CRASH!_**

The shelf landed directly on Po, waking him up in agony and bombarding him with dozens of scrolls. After a few moments of silence, he groaned quietly, "Uuugh."

Throwing the shelf off of him, Po rose awkwardly to his feet. Rubbing his sore head, he winced in discomfort.

"Stupid shelf," he muttered in annoyance. Bending over, Po picked up the wooden piece of furniture and set it against the wall, good as new; albeit it was slightly crooked. After gathering up all of the fallen scrolls and replacing them on the shelf, the Dragon Warrior exited the Scroll Room. The panda yawned as he passed through the Hall of Heroes and made his way over to the exit.

Opening the door, Po winced as his eyes adjusted to the glaring morning light. Having risen above the eastern mountains, the sun was high in the morning sky. Judging on its position, Po estimated that it was roughly 9 AM. He'd overslept; although he wasn't surprised, seeing as he'd been up til 2 AM that night.

"So much for morning training," he huffed, forcefully swinging the Hall's door shut, only to grimace in pain. The Dragon Warrior rolled his right shoulder, attempting the ease the newfound soreness.

'I guess a break is in order, I am a little sore from yesterday,' he thought with a shrug.

Walking gingerly down the white marble steps, Po eventually arrived at the kitchen. However, unlike yesterday, none of the Five or Saber were present. Raising his eye-brow, the panda turned back around heading towards the Training Hall. He wasn't that hungry anyways.

Reaching the Training Hall, he opened the doors only to find the room dark and empty. Closing the door, Po scratched his head in bewilderment.

"Where the heck are they?" the panda muttered.

 **'Maybe they all died?'** Red chimed in.

Po groaned at this. It was too early in the morning to be dealing with Red.

"That's by far, the most ludicrous statement you've made…and that's saying something," Po replied, somewhat annoyed.

 **'I was only trying to help,** ' Red muttered matter-of-factly.

Po snorted at this before he began walking over towards the opposite side of the palace; where the barracks resided. As he reached the sleeping quarters, the sounds of sighs and snorts came within earshot. Well, at least he found where the five were; sleeping.

Rolling his eyes, Po stopped in his tracks to think for a moment. What needed to be done in the meanwhile? After a few minutes of thought, he decided to head down to the valley to buy some needed supplies and visit his father…fathers.

Nodding in satisfaction of his decision, the panda headed towards the entrance of the Jade Palace. Arriving at the gateway, Po then made his way down the stairs. Taking a deep breath of the brisk morning air, he sighed in peace. The utter silence was blissful, nothing but the faint sounds of the gentle wind caressing the trees. Naturally, Red would ruin it.

 **'Man I hate the silence. Don't you? It makes me uncomfortable…but mostly paranoid. Yeah! It definitely makes me paranoid. This day is gonna be great! Maybe Saber will finally shove off? If he doesn't, I still have 46 more plans if you want. I bet-"**

"Will you shut the hell up!" Po cursed at his inescapable nuisance.

Red's incessant rambling instantly came to a halt. After a few minutes of silence, Po concluded that the voice had finally left him in peace. Humming in content, the Dragon Warrior continued his journey down the thousand steps. Then Red started again.

 **'Remember to buy a chair, no more of this standing up business. You've skipped the last four meals because of it. Then again…maybe a diet is just what you need. After all, you're not getting laid with that gut. It's a major turn off,'** Red prattled rudely.

Po groaned.

* * *

 **A/N: That's all for now guys. Hope you enjoyed! Give me your opinions.**

 **Is there something you like/dislike?**

 **Is there something you think I should add?**

 **If you were wondering the translation for Lux's singing in native tongue, it's Somali. The native tongue in Ancient Egypt was actually 'Coptic', but there are no translators for it.**

 _"Ha ooyin. Hal maalin ayaan kula kulmi doonaa mar kale. Waxaad tahay xiddig samada. Waxaad tahay malag. Anigu waan ku jeclaan doonaa noloshaan iyo tan xigta. Hal maalin ayaan kula kulmi doonaa mar kale."_

 **Translates to:**

 _"Do not cry. One day I'll meet you again. You are a star of the sky. You are an angel. I will love you in this life and the next. One day I'll meet you again."_

 **If you want a better visual of Kiara's Khopesh sword, it looks similar to the link below, but the blade is half bronze and half steel**

' Neptune-Trading-Inc-Official-Assassins/dp/B07FFNKZRY'

 **I'll see you people later!**

 **Frost2001 out.**


	7. Chapter 6: Hardship on the Horizon

**A/N: Hey guys I'm back! This chapter took a while. You see, I've got the main plot all figured out. What slows me down is just figuring out the sub-plots and miniature themes and events that help develop the story as a whole. I want this story to turn out well and I don't want it to be a shallow plot.**

 **Anyways, I'm sure that you guys want to go ahead to the story so I'll cut off my rant.**

 **As always, read & enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Dream Works or Kung Fu Panda. I only own this specific plot and my OCs.**

* * *

 **Chapter 6: Hardship on the Horizon**

 _Gongmen City_

As usual, and more so since the defeat of Shen, the streets of down town Gongmen were bustling with activity. Being a principal trading center of the nation, naturally, the city attracted migrants and merchants from far and wide. Currently, Shifu and Nicki were making their way through the masses of citizens towards the newly built residence of the Council of Masters. Walking in silence, the duo looked rather uncomfortable. Neither of the two had shared a word since the old master's attempt at conversation. Somehow, Shifu didn't think this would have been the case had Po been present.

Arriving at the palace, the grandmaster was stunned by the spectacle before him. Towering high above him, a hundred feet in the air, stood the citadel. It was an architectural feat that rivaled the Jade Palace itself. Constructed from a blend of stone highlighted with imperial topaz, the impressive palace matched the golden color of the sun in the midday sky. Encompassing the structure was a high standing stone block wall with walkways along the top. In addition to this, the corners of the surrounding fortification held watch towers; each mounted with some type of weaponry. Upon closer inspection, Shifu recognized the deadly ordinances; Shen's cannons. Raising an eyebrow at this, Shifu stored this piece of information for later study.

Continuing on, they arrived at the entrance, only to be stopped by two bull guards at the door.

"Halt! Who goes there?" one of the bulls ordered.

Nicki rolled her eyes, "It's just me and Master Shifu."

The two guards' eyes widened in shock. Soon after, they both dropped to their knees in respect.

"Forgive us for our insolence Grandmasters!" one of them pleaded.

"Yeah what he said!" the other added.

Nicki tightened her lips as she glanced uncomfortably towards Shifu to watch his reaction.

Shifu sighed, albeit in an amused manner, 'Being a grandmaster does have its perks now and again.'

Waving them off, the grandmaster entered through the doors, followed by Nicki. The leopardess led the way to the meeting room. As they were walking down the hall Nicki broke the silence.

"The others arrived hours ago. They are waiting in the conference hall," she informed Shifu curtly. The older master nodded in understanding. Eventually, the two arrived outside the conference hall. Nodding in respect, Nicki quickly left to her dorm.

Composing himself, Shifu then entered through the doors into the room. Walking through the doors, the red-panda soon saw the other six grandmasters chatting around the stone table. As Shifu had entered, the others had stopped chatting and looked up from their conversation. Master Ox was the first to greet him.

"Master Shifu, it's wonderful to see you again!" the ox smiled as he gave a respectful nod to the older master. Shifu gave a smile and bow in return to him.

After the others greeted Shifu, a grave aura filled the air. Swiftly, Master Croc shut all the steel window shutters, locking them. Master Hawk closed and locked the double doors. The room was pitch black until Master Ox lit a brazier that sat in the center of the table, illuminating the chamber.

"Now, onto serious matters," Master Ox looked around the table grimly. He folded his hands as he glanced over to Master Panther. Nodding, the feline cleared his throat.

"In the Xinjiang province, there have been signs of criminal activity on the rise. Has everyone here noticed the same in their respective provinces?" he began. Everyone nodded, albeit Shifu. The feline continued, "I believe a criminal organization is forming across China under the control of an individual."

This was terrible news, but it was something that the masters had anticipated for a while now. Shifu cut in before the feline could continue, "The Valley of Peace has been utterly peaceful. No crime whatsoever."

Master Panther frowned at this, tapping his chin in thought.

Before the cat could speak, Master Hawk interjected, "I believe it's because the Valley of Peace is along the south eastern region of China, the crime seems to be spreading from north to south and west to east," he proposed. The others nodded in consideration while Master Panther still pondered.

"Or perhaps, the eminence of the Furious Five, more importantly, the Dragon Warrior is warding off the crime for now," Master Panther stated after a few moments of thought. Shifu hummed in interest. Maybe leaving Po at the valley had been a good move on his part.

"We are getting off topic, we must discuss the matters at hand," Master Cobra urged.

The others drew their focus back to the snake master.

"I agree with Master Panther, a criminal organization is forming, but I believe it's more than that," he warned them. The others grew interested as they leaned in to get a better listen.

"What would that be?" Shifu inquired.

The cobra frowned in thought, "I believe this criminal organization is corrupting the Kung Fu academies throughout the country. Killing us from the inside out," he proposed.

Master Croc wasn't convinced.

"You mean spies?"

Master Cobra nodded in confirmation. Everyone soon broke out into a loud chorus of arguments. They were soon silence by a steel ax loudly burying into the stone table. Master Gorilla, a hulking figure, who had been silent throughout the entire affair, had finally had enough.

"Please, arguing amongst ourselves will do nothing but aid the enemy," he boomed in a deep voice. Embarrassed of their childish behavior, the other masters soon grew quiet. The ape turned to Master Cobra.

"What makes you think we are being infiltrated?" he asked calmly. The serpent sighed and cleared his throat, "I've had to release several of my students in the past few weeks, for breaking into the restricted weapon storages, and I caught others sneaking out during the night and meeting with shady figures," he admitted. The gorilla's eyes widened at this, he turned to the others.

"Has anyone else experienced situations similar to this?" he prompted. No one said anything at first, but one by one each master confessed.

"My students have been late to training, because of lack of sleep," Master Panther admitted.

Master Hawk had a frown on his face, "I've noticed that several of the Sapphire Palace defense blueprints have gone missing."

A deep crease in Master Gorilla's brow formed. This was unexpected; never had an enemy of China been cunning enough to commence a mass infiltration of the Kung Fu Palaces before. They were dealing with a new enemy; a dangerous enemy.

Master Gorilla looked solemnly at the others, "I think I know the leader of this criminal syndicate." Everyone jerked their heads towards the ape.

"Who?" Shifu asked.

Master Gorilla closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Sighing, he massaged his temples in unease. He looked back at the others.

"I was on my way to the Zoru-Sai Prison in Mongolia several months ago," he began.

 ** _Flashback_**

 _Trudging his way through a snow storm, Master Gorilla was wrapped in a heavy wool coat. Most creatures would have died of hypothermia by now, but the large ape barely felt the chilling winter wind._

 _He was heading towards Zoru-Sai Prison. Zoru-Sai was where the worst of the worst were kept. It made Chor-Gom look like a playground. Master Gorilla was traveling for the annual checkup on a specific prisoner. The felon was a former member of the Kung Fu Council; a traitor._

 _Master Gorilla had been on the path to Zoru-Sai for several weeks now. Normally, the journey was a week at the maximum, but his wagon had collapsed. After his wagon had broken, the gorilla had no choice but to walk. He had not eaten for days, only being able to drink from melting snow in his mouth. After journeying for so long in the dark blizzard, Master Gorilla wasn't sure whether it was day or night; he only rested when he needed to._

 _An hour later, he finally made out the dim light of the torches from the prison. Picking up his pace, the middle-aged gorilla waded through the snow towards the front doors. As he drew nearer, he noticed that no guards were at the front gate. Worried by this the ape strode over to the doors and swung them open. The spectacle before him was utter chaos; all the prisoners had escaped from their cells and were battling with the guards. The guards were heavily outnumbered and outmatched._

 _Master Gorilla couldn't react before a guard sprinted over to the door._

 _"Save yourself!" he screamed, before slamming the doors, knocking the gorilla off his feet._

 _Rising again, the master ran over to the door, only to be knocked off his feet again._

 ** _Boooooom!_**

 _A fiery explosion ripped through the prison, sending the charging master flying dozens of feet back into the cushioning snow. He was in a daze for several minutes. Grunting in pain, the gorilla sat up. The sight that awaited him was devastating. Zoru-Sai prison was demolished; the remaining structures were ablaze. Undoubtedly, no one survived, including the prisoner he'd come to check._

 _'So much death,' the gorilla master thought grimly._

 _The blizzard had calmed and the whipping winds silenced themselves, almost in reverence for the dead. He continued to gaze at the burning building until the fire had finally died out, leaving him in the dark once again. Rising slowly, Master Gorilla gave a final glance towards the ruins of the prison, "Rest in peace," he said gently. He would need to inform the morticians back in his city of this occurrence._

 _Turning his back, the ape started his journey back home, before the blizzard started again. What the master didn't notice was a slight shift in the rubble of the ruins. As the gorilla's body vanished in the distance, the rubble began to shift more noticeably._

 _Moments later, an orange and black striped hand shot out of the rubble, somewhat blackened from the fire._

 ** _Flashback End_**

"The morticians arrived and recovered all the bodies from both guards and prisoners. All except one," the gorilla finished.

The council's eyes widened in realization; Shifu frowned.

"You can't mean **he** survived that?" the red-panda. The others nodded in disbelief. Master Gorilla gave them all a grave look and confirmed their fears.

" **Daemon** is alive and out for blood, as I have feared," he conceded in a whisper.

Everyone grew quiet at this. Daemon had been the best of them; the most skilled, the swiftest, the strongest, the deadliest.

Originally, Daemon had been like Tai-Lung in many ways; young, ambitious, and obstinate. He strove to be the greatest warrior in all of China. Overtime, Daemon had become a conceited warrior, who strove for power and control.

A prophecy emerged, foretelling his downfall if he didn't veer from his dark path. This did nothing but deepen his resolve to become all-powerful. Unlike Tai-Lung, he couldn't have cared less for the Dragon Scroll. Daemon's goal was not the scroll, but something far more deadly; the Elixir of Immortals. Created by a researcher in the Imperial staff, it was an attempt to replicate the effects of the ambrosia of the gods. In his obsession to become the superior warrior, he forced the researcher to give him the elixir.

Eventually, the Master's Council stepped in to detain their former friend. They were no match for him before, much less after the elixir. Only Oogway himself was able to stop the rampaging warrior…but at a cost.

 ** _Flashback_**

 _Nighttime had swept over the Imperial Palace. Bloodied bodies of guards littered the grounds both inside and outside the walls. A figure was seen moving in the palace's courtyard._

 _In the enclosure, Daemon stepped deftly over the unconscious bodies of the rest of the Council. He looked down at their figures in disdain, barely a scratch on him._

 _"Tsk…Tsk… I was hoping for somewhat of a challenge," he bemoaned. The Council of Masters were the most elite warriors in the entire nation; preceding the Furious Five. Daemon had disposed of them within minutes, leaving them unconscious. Unlike the Imperial guards, he respected them; there was no need to kill his former friends. They weren't a threat to him. They were just another pitiful obstacle, blocking his path from the Emperor. Once the royal family was disposed of, no one would dare question his power—he'd rule all of China— and after that, all of Asia. The tiger was brought out of his thoughts by something…someone. Stopping in his tracks, Daemon sensed a new presence behind him._

 _"Enough of this madness Daemon!"_

 _Daemon's demonic yellow eyes widened in recognition of the voice. It was the voice of someone who could finally present him a challenge. A sinister smile graced the feline's features. He spun around to face his opponent._

 _Oogway stood in a battle stance with a grim look upon his normally jovial face. The turtle's eyes glanced to see the defeated forms of his comrades._

 _Daemon just chuckled, "Don't worry old man. They are merely unconscious."_

 _Oogway's eyes narrowed at the tiger, "You must be brought to justice for the atrocities you have committed."_

 _Daemon laughed at this. He would enjoy eradicating the old turtle, one hit at a time._

 _"You are a fool Oogway! I am beyond even the Emperor's authority now! He will be the next in line to bow at my feet," he resounded in grandeur._

 _Oogway shook his head adamantly, "You are no different than any other warrior or criminal for that matter."_

 _Daemon's grin faded, "You see Oogway…That's where you're wrong."_

 _Instantly, the tiger shot forward at blinding speed towards Oogway. The turtle barely had enough time to block the first hit before Daemon delivered a forceful kick to his abdomen. Oogway wheezed in pain. In an effort to counter, Oogway attempted to execute a quick backhanded chop to the tiger's neck. Catching the turtle's predictable effort, Daemon continued to deliver several devastating hay-makers in rapid succession to the grandmaster's chest area. After multiple hits, Oogway managed to redirect Daemon's final punch, flipping the tiger onto the ground._

 _Cracking his head on the floor, Daemon was dazed for a moment before his eyes refocused on Oogway or more so…the turtle's familiar grip on his hand._

 _The grandmaster had him in the Wuxi Finger hold, pinky raised. Oogway looked at him solemnly._

 _"You leave me no choice young one. To the Spirit Realm you must go," he affirmed subsequently flexing his pinky._

 _To the turtle's horror and utter surprise, nothing happened. Unlike when he banished Kai, there was no explosion of golden light or diffusion of Chi._

 _'But how?' he pondered._

 _He was brought out of his thoughts by Daemon's iron grip clenching onto his wrist._

 _"Sorry…I don't work like that no more," the tiger snarled, his fangs gleaming in the moonlight._

 _He subsequently flipped the turtle over his shoulder, smashing him into the stone floor. Oogway howled in pain, hitting several pressure points on the tiger's arm, but they seemed to have no effect either. Daemon ignored it and flipped the turtle over his shoulders once again and drove him even harder into the stone patio, before releasing his hold._

 _Oogway was on his hands and knees at this point coughing up blood as he hunched over. Trying to recover, the turtle feebly stood to his feet. Daemon swiftly kicked the older master's legs, sending him buckling to his knees once again. Taking hold of Oogway's neck, the feline crushed the turtle into the ground, immobilizing him._

 _"This elixir has made me the most formidable combatant in all of China! My physical and mental attributes outmatch even yours," he boasted._

 _Pinning Oogway by the neck with one hand, he delivered a blow of incredible power down onto the turtle's shell with the other._

 _wham!_

 _Several hairline fractures formed along the grandmaster's shell. Not satisfied, Daemon continued beating down with all his might between his words. Each blow becoming progressively harder as time wore on._

 _"I'm the strongest!"_

 ** _wham!_**

 _"The fastest!"_

 ** _Wham!_**

 _"The toughest!"_

 ** _Wham!_**

 _"The fiercest!"_

 ** _WHAM!_**

 _"I AM THE BEST!"_

 ** _WHAM!_**

 _Breathing heavily, the tiger stood up clenching and unclenching his bruised knuckles._

 _Oogway's body lay motionless; the turtle's formerly beautiful shell had been totally caved in and torn apart._

 _"So much for the great Master Oogway," Daemon muttered in contempt, before turning his back heading towards the palace._

 _"Daemon!" a voice rasped out._

 _Turning back around, the tiger found the grandmaster on his feet shakily pointing at him. In all honesty, Daemon was quite impressed. No one had ever stood against his onslaught before and lived._

 _"You may best me in physicality…You may best me in mentality…but you can't best me in one thing," Oogway taunted the feline._

 _Daemon frowned at this, "…What is that?"_

 _Oogway let a wry smile form on his face, "Spirituality."_

 _The turtle then gave off a golden glow, before sending a wave of Chi at the tiger. Caught off guard, Daemon winced at the wall of light heading for him. Quickly, he held his hands up to block the incoming attack._

 _Oogway stood their observing the result of his work. Before him stood Daemon restrained in coils of golden chains of Chi._

 _"Argggh!" Daemon bellowed, trying to break free of the bonds. It was no use, the chains wouldn't budge._

 _Oogway hobbled over to the tiger watching him struggle against his imprisonment._

 _"You'll have to kill me Oogway! I can't die of age, the elixir made sure of that!" Daemon taunted._

 _Oogway shook his head, resting his hand on the tiger's shoulder he sighed tiredly._

 _"You are a threat no longer. Zoru-Sai has a special chamber awaiting you," the turtle informed._

 _"Just you wait Oogway! I'll be back and you won't always be here to stop me!" Daemon snarled._

 _Oogway calmly replied, "It was never my job to stop you, the prophecy has already set another on that path."_

 _Daemon smirked, "I've read the prophecy…and I've already taken measures to ensure it never comes to pass."_

 _Oogway smiled knowingly, "I'm sure you have."_

 _Daemon was rather unnerved by the Oogway's smile, almost as if the turtle knew something that he didn't._

* * *

 _Hours later, after some of the remaining Imperial Forces came and took Daemon away to Zoru-Sai prison, Oogway was left to tend to the wounded. As he passed by a group of medics aiding a wounded solider, the grandmaster noticed a middle-aged goat lady sitting on the steps looking miserable. Curious, he walked up the stairs and sat down next to her. They were silent for a moment before Oogway started, "Are you alright my dear?"_

 _The female goat just shook her head; tears streaming down her face._

 _"…I caused this…" she lamented._

 _Even the wise Oogway took a moment to understand._

 _"Ah…I see. You are the elixir's creator," the grandmaster realized._

 _A feeble nod from the goat confirmed it. They both sat there for several minutes, just watching the medics carry off the bodies of the dead and wounded._

 _"I thought..." she began, looking up into the night sky._

 _Oogway leaned in to get a better listen since the goat's voice was barely above a whisper._

 _"…I thought…making the elixir could have done some good but…it just caused suffering and pain."_

 _Oogway nodded in understanding, "Even the most beautiful of things can be corrupted by those with sinful purposes. But sometimes, all it takes is one special person to undo all of the wrong," he continued._

 _Nodding, the goat and turtle continued to sit and stare at the stars above._

 _"What should I do now?" she asked._

 _Oogway was silent for a moment in thought, before shrugging with a slight smile._

 _"Do what makes you happy," he responded, rising from his seat. He then withdrew a flower from his robe and handed it to the goat lady._

 _Smiling bashfully, she admired the flower. "Well, I've always wanted to visit Egypt. Maybe one day I will…"_

 _Still looking down at the flower the goat continued, "Oh! Oogway, I never introduced myself. My name is…"_

 _She looked up to find that the grandmaster had vanished; she was left alone on the stone stairs._

 _"…Carol…"_

 ** _Flashback End_**

Daemon had nearly been the end of them all.

If he was back now, all of China could be in danger.

"If this is the case, then I must travel back to the Jade Palace to warn the others," Shifu began.

The red-panda stood up with his staff in hand. The others stood with him.

"Agreed, we must bring awareness to our respective palaces and academies," Master Hawk approved.

Before the grandmasters could do anything else the ground trembled, knocking all but Master Cobra off their feet.

"What was that?" the serpent hissed. Quickly regaining their feet, the masters drew their weapons and readied themselves. Right after, Master Ox strode over and swung open the door. He then quickly exited and ran down the hall, followed by the others.

Arriving at the entrance hall, they were met with the gruesome sight of the floor covered in the palace guard's corpses. The front gate had been blown wide open. Standing above the bodies were dozens and dozens of criminals, armed to the teeth. At the sight of the masters, the criminals made a move to swarm them, only to be stopped by a central figure, their leader, raising his hand.

The hooded figure was tall, possibly the same height as Po and he was thin, but sinewy. His lean figure radiated menace. And if that wasn't enough, the razor sharp blood-red spear he flaunted around assured it. He unveiled his hood, revealing the face of a black jaguar with almost pitch black eyes. Sporting a noticeable scar along his right eye, it was obvious that feline wasn't a novice.

"Be honored. You are all about to be slain by the servants of Lord Daemon," he announced in a poised and smooth voice, while effortlessly twirling the spear in his grasp.

Looking sideways at each other, the grandmasters returned their gaze to the jaguar. Judging from his poise, the feline was no doubt Daemon's right-hand. And based off the ease at which he handled the weapon in his hand, he was an expert combatant; an extreme threat.

"I don't know how to thank you gentlemen," he continued stylishly.

He smirked, "Really, you've made my job so much easier by coming together in the same place."

The grandmasters took their defensive stances, frowns plastered across their faces.

This drew a chuckle from the feline. He folded his hands together as he continued.

"Truly, destroying every one of your palaces was a breeze with you absent. Especially with our inside helpers." he informed them with a laugh.

The grandmasters soon adopted a look of shock before anger soon emerged.

"How dare you!" Master Ox roared in fury, his fingers twitching as he gripped his axe.

Smirking, the black jaguar clapped his hands together, "Now. Now. Don't worry, your turn is here," he effused sarcastically motioning to the huge group of criminals behind him.

"I am disappointed however, that the Dragon Warrior isn't present," he admitted in slight dissatisfaction.

The grandmasters' eyes widened at this. Shifu stepped forward bringing attention to himself.

"How did you-" he was cut off.

"Well…our little informant kept us posted," the jaguar shrugged pointing to a smirking Nicki who had emerged from behind the mass of criminals.

"Nicki! You shame yourself and the name of Kung Fu!" Master Croc hissed. The entire Council of Masters were glaring daggers at the leopardess.

Giving a mock apologetic smile the leopardess said, "Sorry, but I was given an offer that I couldn't refuse."

Walking up, the female stopped when she stood side by side with the black jaguar.

Patting the taller feline's shoulder, "After Raul here and Daemon secure control over China, I get to keep the Dragon Warrior!" she cheered.

Shifu's eye twitched, "…Keep him?"

Nicki nodded enthusiastically. Clasping her paws over her chest she let out a muted purr.

"Yeah. You know…he'll be my favorite toy. I'm sure he won't mind," Nicki giggled, licking her lips.

Shifu gagged at the thought. The other grandmasters shuddered at the leopardess's implication.

'Perhaps it really was best that Po hadn't accompanied me here,' the red-panda thought with a shiver.

Raul stroked his chin with a thoughtful look. Turning towards the shorter feline he patted her shoulders.

"Oh yes…unfortunately our deal has a small complication," he remarked.

Tilting her head, Nicki's smile faded slightly, "What do you mean?"

The jaguar looked down at her, "You must understand that Lord Daemon only accepts the most loyal and devoted to his cause."

In the blink of an eye, Raul seized Nicki by her neck strangling her. Gurgling, the leopardess tried to pry his hands away, but she was growing weaker. He slowly lifted her off the ground, as her legs flailed feebly. The grandmasters looked at the spectacle before them in shock.

Not missing a beat the jaguar continued calmly, "I do apologize, it's nothing personal. But a traitor such as yourself would be a tarnish in our ranks."

He increased the pressure on her neck until…

 ** _*crack*_**

The Council of Master winced at the sound; however, Raul didn't even flinch.

Nicki became motionless. Her eyes rolled up into the back of her skull as her head slumped.

Looking distastefully at her, the jaguar dropped the motionless corpse onto the floor by his feet.

Shifu looked at the lifeless Nicki below them with pity. Even though the feline was a traitor, no one should have been subjected to such an ill fate. Shifu looked up, turning his withering gaze back to the Daemon's subordinate.

Raul had begun to stroll around the hall admiring the design. Motioning with his arms, "This edifice really is a magnificent piece of craftsmanship…too bad we'll have to burn it to the ground," he drawled, stopping shortly to feel the fabric of one of the hanging drapes.

Master Gorilla stepped forward, "Over our dead bodies!"

Instead of showing any sign of irritation or anger, the jaguar just smiled maliciously, "That can be arranged."

Making a motion with his hand, dozens of the bandits swarmed towards the Council of Masters. Swiftly, the grandmasters countered the bandits, eliminating one after the other. But no matter how many they defeated, more would come flooding in. Many of the grandmasters began to tire, being past their prime. Slowly but surely, they were losing ground.

Shifu had just slammed his staff into the throat of one bandit, before spinning and kicking two more to the ground before realizing that the situation was hopeless. Master Cobra had realized this too. After the serpent sent three bandits flying he hollered, "Shifu get out of here and warn the Five and Dragon Warrior! We'll hold them off!"

Shifu was obstinate, "I refuse to leave!" he yelled back, disarming a bandit, before knocking him out.

"You must! Our palaces have been destroyed! The Jade Palace is the last Kung Fu stronghold in the entire country!" Master Hawk countered, disposing of multiple bandits with a spin kick.

"But-" Shifu implored.

"No my friend, our journey has come to an end. You must go on…Go!" Master Gorilla ordered, before spinning and whipping his ax in an arc, disposing of several bandits.

Feeling utterly helpless, Shifu swallowed his pride and fled. Running as fast as he could, the red-panda jumped and smashed through the window, falling several stories onto the cobblestone road below. Sore, aching, and in pain, Shifu picked himself up and continued his sprint away from the Topaz Palace through town.

Raul watched Shifu's figure grow smaller and smaller.

"Oh, bother," he muttered.

Turning to some of the bandits he ordered, "Get him!"

Following his order, a big group of bandits turned and sprinted out the doors after the red-panda. As they chased after Shifu, more and more bandits joined until a virtual sea of criminals was rushing after the escaping grandmaster.

Shifu was making his way swiftly toward the docks when he heard yelling behind him. His eyes widened in shock as he turned to see a mass of bandits in pursuit. His legs went into maximum overdrive as he zipped down the road.

Citizens of Gongmen were left utterly baffled as they saw a red and white blur zip past them, only to be followed by a mass of criminals.

Shifu could barely breathe from all the running as he drew closer and closer to the harbor. Looking several hundred meters forward, he was relieved to see that Jeffery, the boat captain was still standing by his boat on the dock looking out at the river.

"Jeff! Jeff!" Shifu bellowed.

The beaver didn't hear him, and continued to stare off into the distance.

"Jeff!" Shifu bellowed at the top of his lungs.

This time Jeff did look up. Turning around, he saw Shifu in the distance running towards him. He smiled, waving back. His grin however, quickly changed into a gape as he saw the horde of bandits chasing after the grandmaster.

"Jeff! Start the boat! Start the boat!" Shifu screamed.

Quickly, Jeff scurried over to the boat and unanchored it from the harbor. Hopping onto the boat, he freed the sail and stabilized the mast. Soon, the sail caught the wind and the boat began to move. Slowly but surely, the ship began to pick up pace.

Shifu was only about fifty meters away from the docks now. Unfortunately, the bandits had begun to throw spears and shoot arrows at him as they chased. There were a dozen times were an arrow or spear grazed through his cloak, missing him by inches.

Finally, Shifu made it to the docks and dived into the water, swimming towards Jeff's boat which was now moving at a remarkable pace. The beaver tossed out a life preserver and Shifu took hold of it. Jeff then dragged the exhausted grandmaster and hoisted him up onto the ship.

Shifu gave a quick glance back to see dozens of bandits fuming on the dock. Some tried to shoot at the ship with their bows, but the vessel was too far away for the arrows to be of any concern.

Looking at Shifu and then back at the docks, Jeff scratched his head, "I guess yo host wasn't too fond of ya."

Shifu grunted and passed out onto the deck, fatigued from the minutes prior. Seeing the passed out form of the red-panda, Jeff muttered, "I guess I'll get ya a blanket or somethin."

He then shuffled off to the captain's quarters.

* * *

 _The Valley of Peace_

Relaxed, Carefree, Joyful; these are just a few ways to describe the citizens of the valley. Having been almost three years since Tai-Lung's defeat, the Valley of Peace had been utterly placid; bar bandit raids. But even those were few and far between.

Today was no exception. Mothers were cleaning and sewing. Fathers were doing work in the fields. Markets were bustling. Children were running about, wrapped in coats due to the frigid air of the ever nearing winter.

Po had just made it down the last of the thousand steps. As he'd traversed down the stairs, the Dragon Warrior went over his checklist.

"Right. First off, go visit my Dads. Second, buy a chair. Also buy groceries and supplies for cooking," he stated, jotting it down in a little notebook.

Hesitating for a moment, Po wracked his brain for anything else, "Oh…didn't Viper say that Tigress needed wrapping paper?" he wondered aloud.

 **'No moron! Viper said Tigress needed new wraps!'** Red corrected.

Po was left clueless by this. Tigress needed wraps? What were wraps? He pondered for a moment.

"Hand wraps?" he finally questioned.

 **'You really are clueless aren't you? No! Breast wraps you uneducated nitwit!'** Red barked in frustration.

"Oh…" Po muttered, his face burning from embarrassment.

"I guess, I'll add it to the list," he concluded, jotting down the item to his list before pocketing the notepad and ink pen.

Heading away from the base of the stairs, Po strolled down the street towards his father's noodle shop. Drifting through the crowds in the marketplace, Po tried to maintain a low profile. He wasn't in the mood for rambunctious fans. Keeping his head down and slouching, Po tried to remain as discreet as possible. Although it wasn't much help, given that he still towered over the majority of everyone else. Surprisingly, no one took notice to his presence, much to the panda's relief. Soon, Po escaped the crowded area of the market and was pacing down the dirt road to his father's.

Arriving outside Mr. Ping's, Po entered to find the place packed; obviously. Not a second after he'd entered, his goose Dad exited the kitchen to greet his son.

"Oh Po! How good of you to visit. It's been nearly a week!" he effused, hugging the bear. Po returned the hug, although in a careful manner. After all the weight training he'd done, the Dragon Warrior didn't know his own strength. The first two months after Kai had been a disaster for Po. It was only until after he'd demolished the kitchen table…and the training hall doors…and one of the walls in the Hall of Heroes that he'd learned strength required a very delicate touch. Heck! He'd even soaked his…lap… in boiling hot soup after accidentally crushing the bowl in his hand. And that was only a few weeks ago! Even now, Po was still quite sensitive about the burned 'area'. In short, he'd been very **very** cautious about his strength from then on.

 **'How misshaped are your testicles by now? Between the burning, whacking, crushing, and Tigress's kicking, you're never gonna have kids! Hahahahahahaha!'** Red exploded in laughter.

"Shut the hell up," Po muttered back.

Releasing his son from their hug, the goose smiled in questioning.

"What was that son?" Mr. Ping asked obliviously. Po returned the smile, waving him off.

"Oh, nothing."

Mr. Ping seemed content with the answer before turning to the customers in the restaurant. Po expected him to announce something like 'free desert with purchases', but what the goose said next left the bear in disbelief.

"Alright everyone, it's time to leave now! I must have a talk with my son in private! Shoo! Shoo!" he announced loudly, ushering the crowds out. Groans were heard from the customers as they were herded out of the establishment. Mr. Ping hurriedly waddled over to the wooden double doors—newly installed several weeks ago —before hanging a "Closed" sign on the outside and shutting them. Turning back to Po a serious look appeared upon the goose's normally jovial face.

"Po…we need to talk. Follow me," he said in a delicate tone.

Motioning his son to follow, Mr. Ping opened the shop's door. Starting forward, Po nearly whacked his head on the door frame before ducking at the last second. Honestly, the bear had lost track of the number of times he'd hit his head on that thing.

They both entered the cramped space— more so for Po than Mr. Ping—to find Po's other Dad Li, sitting on a stool. Obviously not built to support a being as large as Li, the wooden legs on the furniture were bent past their maximum range of motion. It was amazing that they hadn't snapped. Li had been sitting, hunched over twirling his thumbs in deep thought. His attention shifted as he looked upwards to see his son enter the room. Smiling, the older panda rose from his seat to greet him. Creaking loudly, the stool groaned, almost as if in relief. Striding over, Li took his son in a strong bear-hug, to which Po returned.

"How've you been champ?" Li asked, finally releasing Po from the embrace.

"Never better," Po replied with a smile of his own.

Li patted him on the back, "That's good to hear."

Po shifted to look at both his Dads before folding his arms together.

"So what's the topic of discussion?" Po asked in curiosity.

The two fathers eyed each other in silence. Li finally ended the silence by clearing his throat, before starting.

"Well…you see son, there is a dilemma," he began.

"What? Don't worry Dad, I'll fix it. Who is it?" Po asked seriously, massaging his knuckles.

"Whack!"

"Ow!" Po yelped.

Mr. Ping had just smacked him on the top of his head with his metal ladle, before shushing him.

"Po! Always resolving things with your Kung Fu…Violence isn't the solution for everything," the goose scolded.

 **'Yes it is,'** Red replied immediately.

Po just nodded bashfully while rubbing the knot that was quickly forming on his head. Li hummed with a slight smile at his son's antics.

"Po, while I appreciate your concern, the problem is a bit more complicated. You see, the Valley of Peace is an amazing place. It's a great place to live," he said.

Po nodded, wondering where his Dad was going with this.

Li then continued, "However, the pandas and I…we don't fit here. We break things…we get in the way…our lifestyle conflicts the majority of the other inhabitants of the valley."

"But-" Po started, only to be quieted by Li raising his hand.

"The others and I have made the decision that it would be best for us and for the valley if we were to go back to the Panda Village in the mountains," he finished, waiting to see his son's reaction.

Po looked puzzled as he went over the situation in his head. The younger panda couldn't develop any reasonable argument to use against his father's logic. However, that wouldn't stop him from trying.

"Come on Dad! We can work this out. I'm sure there's some way you guys can continue to live in the valley," he offered weakly.

Li shook his head before gripping Po by the shoulders in care.

"I know this is hard son. But we can always visit, or you can come visit us! This isn't a permanent farewell," he assured Po.

Sighing in acceptance, Po looked up at his father asking, "When are you guys leaving?"

Li motioned to several pieces of luggage by the wall—his luggage—to answer the younger panda's inquiry.

"Today. I'm actually glad you came down here. Otherwise, I would have had to climb up the Jade Palace stairs to inform you," he stated with a dry chuckle.

Po nodded, "Stay safe on the journey. Winter is on the rise."

Li's eyes widened at this before he knocked himself on the head in realization. Po frowned at this, wondering what his father was thinking.

"I almost forgot!" the older panda scolded himself before rushing off to the back of the shop.

Po looked over to his other dad with a look of confusion. Mr. Ping just smirked knowingly and shook his head. A few minutes later, heavy footsteps reverberated throughout the shop as Li re-entered through the back doorway. In his hands he was carrying a sizable item, crudely wrapped in tan and black paper. He walked over to Po, handing over the gift proudly.

"What's this?" Po asked in surprise. He examined the box in his hands, shaking it. It wasn't a weapon and it was very light for its size.

"What you said reminded me that I'll be gone for your birthday. It's only in four days. This is a gift from me," Li divulged.

"Oh!" Po sounded in understanding. He'd been so busy with training and dealing with the Five and Saber that he'd completely forgot about his birthday.

Originally, no one had known the Dragon Warrior's date of birth since he'd been unofficially adopted. However, after Kai, Li had sat down and chatted with everyone over dinner telling them his side of the story. He answered Po's and the Five's questions and also revealed that Po had been born on the day of the Winter Solstice. 'A special birth-date for a special panda,' he would say. It was true; the Winter Solstice was only four days away.

Po looked down at the item in his hands once more before returning his gaze to his panda dad.

"May I?" he questioned.

"Of course! I wanted you to open it in front of me," Li assured.

Carefully, Po pealed back the layers of wrapping. After removing the paper, it was revealed to be a simple wooden box. Noticing two steel latches on the side, Po unhooked them and opened it. Inside laid some stylish new attire. A jade green vest—similar to the panda's eye color—lay inside the box. Alongside the vest was a pair of black training pants.

"After all, the Dragon Warrior can't go around in those patched shorts forever. That's Grandma's finest work," Li opined with a faint smile.

"Thanks Dad," Po effused with a grin.

After admiring the garment's craftsmanship for a few more moments, Po began to rummage around his pant pockets. Like father like son, he'd also forgotten a gift he was going to give to his father. He'd been casually strolling around the market a few days ago and an interesting item had caught his eye. Finally, securing hold of it, Po pulled out a small box and handed it to Li.

"Here you go. I almost forgot to give you this."

Curious, the older panda carefully opened the palm sized box. Upon opening, the item was revealed to be a unique necklace. The pendant was a stylishly carved yin-yang symbol, comprised of silver and gold. It hung on a complex cord, a composition of woven steel fibers; almost as strong as solid steel, yet flexible like cloth.

Smiling, Li secured the necklace around his neck with pride.

"Thank you Po. It'll remind me of you," he said with a tear in his eye.

Nodding, Po stepped forward and took his panda father in a bear-hug, "Thanks for everything dad, I'm gonna miss you," he mumbled quietly.

Li patted his son on the back, a tear rolling down his face. Stepping back from Po, Li motioned to the door.

"I suppose you should probably head out. I'm sure the Dragon Warrior has a long day ahead of him," he joked matter-of-factly.

Po nodded with a good-natured roll of his eyes, before packing up the new clothes in a small paper bag and heading towards the door.

"Bye, love you dads!" he called before exiting the shop.

Both fathers watched as their son left to go about his day. Once Mr. Ping was sure Po was gone, he turned to Li.

"I suppose this is farewell for now?" the goose asked.

Li looked sideways at him, "Yes. I suppose it is."

Ping laughed in spite of himself. Initially after meeting Li he had wanted nothing to do with him. After all, he was a threat to his relationship with Po. But after time getting to know him, the older panda had become one of the closest friends he'd ever known.

"And to think that when we first met I despised you," the goose chuckled.

It was Li's turn to let out a laugh. While he hadn't been as cynical as the Ping had been, he'd had several unvoiced jabs and quarrels with the goose. Overtime, they become the best of friends with Po being the focal point.

"Yes. It's funny how father time can change things."

Their laughter died down shortly after leaving the two in a comfortable silence. Mr. Ping patted the bear's shoulder, "Take care of yourself Li."

Li nodded in thanks and walked over to his luggage. Picking up the bags, he headed for the door. Spinning around, he gazed at Mr. Ping, "Please…take care of our son."

Not waiting for an answer, the elder panda exited, heading down the road to the front of town where the other pandas were preparing for the journey. Mr. Ping watched his large figure until it faded out of sight.

"I promise."

* * *

Po strolled around the marketplace in the Valley's downtown. He was careful to avoid the plethora of passerby as he journeyed through the crowded area. What had once been a relatively sparse province was now a bustling center of trade and travelers.

Ever since the Dragon Warrior title had been claimed, the Valley of Peace had expanded from what was once a fairly minor town to a major city. This was no doubt due to the protection that the Dragon Warrior provided. In the last several years, the Valley's population had increased tenfold and the city had extended southward for several miles as well. In consequence, more business and industrial advances had emerged in the ever-growing city. In correlation to the stream of immigrants, the diversity of species in the city had spiked tremendously.

Before, seeing anyone other than a rabbit, pig, or goat in the valley was a phenomenon. Now after the mass of immigration into the valley, it was possibly the most diverse province in all of China. It was commonplace for dozens of different species outside of the original few that the valley possessed.

Honestly, Po rather liked the increase in the city's size and populous. It made traveling among the common people much easier. You see, due to the increase of newcomers in the valley, it greatly decreased the chances of him being recognized. Originally, Po had loved the attention and adoration from the people of the town. However, after a time it had become more of a hassle than anything. He couldn't even travel from the Jade Palace to his Dad's shop without being bombarded by fans and townsfolk.

Stopping to gaze around at the marketplace, Po's eyes scanned the shops, attempting to find one that sold furniture. He hadn't been in the downtown area for several weeks, and new businesses were sprouting up like weeds. The Dragon Warrior had lost track of the number of new shops that had opened.

'Um…Manuel's Mechanics, no…Victoria's Venue, no…Barbara's Bar, no…Nicole's Night Club, definitely not…' he thought in frustration.

 **'I don't know. Night Club sounds like fun,'** Red put in.

Po shook his head at this. Deciding it would be best if he asked for directions, the panda headed toward the nearest shop…Su & Sister's Spa & Massage.

 **'Ooh…Spa AND Massage, good choice.'**

Po rolled his eyes, before entering the establishment. Normally, most of the new shops would be either half constructed or poorly built; this shop was neither. The interior of it was simple yet elegant. Polished white marble covered the floor, while the walls and ceiling were constructed of less expensive but just as marvelous white stone. Po admired the beautiful design of the building, stepping up to the desk.

Taking a look around, there didn't appear to be anyone. Po's eyes made their way down to the polished surface of the wooden front counter, where a desk bell sat. A small plaque stood next to the ornament.

'Please ring **_gently_** for service' it read.

Po looked up again to find that he was still alone. Shrugging his shoulders, he carefully tapped the bell… no sound. Frowning, Po tried again…still no sound. Huffing, the bear scratched the back of his head in wonder. Trying again Po used a little more force. This time a barely audible, muffled ring came out. Having enough of the bell's lack of cooperation, Po forcefully swung his hand down onto the cursed desk ornament.

 ** _RAAANG!_**

The bell let out an ear shattering shriek. Po winced at the harsh noise. Looking down, his jaw dropped in shock. The bell was now partially flattened, the top being mushed down.

 **'Good job blockhead.'**

Po gripped his head in self-contempt, scolding himself for breaking yet another thing that didn't belong to him. He then froze at the sound of a feminine voice from the back of the shop.

"We'll be with you shortly!"

Panicking, the Dragon Warrior shifted the bell, hiding it under the plaque out of sight. He wiped a bead of sweat from his brow before a hand clasped onto his shoulder. Nearly, jumping out of his skin, Po gripped the arm and swung the being over his shoulder onto the floor at his feet.

"Whoa!"

Looking down at the figure, it turned out to be Dim. His hands up in surrender, the panda cousin had a nervous smile on his face.

"Friendly fire?" he chuckled.

Abashed, Po helped his cousin to his feet quickly after. Turning around he spotted Sum—his other cousin—trying to restrain his laughter.

"Remind us never to sneak up on you again," Sum joked.

Po rubbed the back of his head, "Sorry about that, but what are you guys doing here?"

The two cousins shrugged their shoulders, "We were just getting a quick massage before the long journey home," Dim answered truthfully.

"We saw you and thought we should say good bye," Sum finished.

Po nodded, giving both of them a hug before they began heading for the door.

"Oh. Po, by the way. You better watch out for those crazy feline masseuses. We're taken," Dim stated, both him and Sum flexing their ring fingers showing off their status. "But you're not…So they might get a little handsy," Sum concluded with a laugh before the two cousins slipped out the doorway.

 **'Fine by me. The more the merrier,'** Red announced in thrill.

As if right on cue, the three felines emerged from the back of the shop. They were all Asiatic Mountain Cats; Po had recognized that almost instantaneously. Due to scroll 415—studies of animal species worldwide— the panda could now easily identify every person he came across. As a result he unconsciously tended to analyze their movements, habitual actions, strengths, weakness, and non-verbal cues.

 **'Species…Asiatic Mountain Cat(s)**

 **Gender…Female(s)**

 **Condition: Unarmed**

 **Threat Level: Medium**

 **Strengths: Seemingly agile…Their posture exhibits signs of martial arts training.**

 **Weaknesses: Their tails are primary for balance; disable them…The center cat has an old injury on her left knee; dispose of her first…the left and right cats depend on each other; solution…divide and conquer,'** Red gauged automatically.

'Will you cut that out! They aren't a threat. No need to analyze them,' Po internally scolded the voice.

Bringing his gaze back to the trio, they all smiled innocently at the panda. He smiled back as he took in their appearance. Their garments were fascinating, due to the cloths' unique design and smooth texture. Each wore a different color; one wore dark red garb, another wore navy, and the last wore a dark green. Po's eyes drew away from their clothes since the design left more than a few revealing openings that wouldn't be considered polite to stare at.

Aside from their attire, all three of them seemed nearly identical in appearance, bar a few differences. Firstly, the center feline—who wore navy colored garb—was about Tigress's height, leaving her an inch or so taller than her sister counterparts. She was also the eldest and leader of the three, judging on her posture. Most notably however, was that the eldest of the trio had multi-colored eyes—her left, a light shade of blue and her right, a dark shade of brown— unlike her sisters, who both sported a hazel pair. Nonetheless, this did little to deter from her natural beauty. In fact, all three of the cats were quite attractive both in their looks and figure.

"Are you done staring?" the center cat inquired in an amused tone, the other two stifling laughs.

Realizing he'd been caught, Po scratched the back of his head and his face reddened. Attempting to recover he bowed his head.

"I apologize. Uh…it's just…I haven't seen an Asiatic Mountain Cat around these parts before. Even after the Valley's expansion," Po stumbled over his words, albeit truthfully.

"Hmmm…sisters? What did we do to the last man that we caught staring at us?" the eldest asked dubitably tapping her clawed finger against her chin.

Po audibly gulped. Originally, he'd thought his cousins had been jesting. No, they'd been completely serious. Unfortunately, he'd realized this too late. Why did he come in here again?

"I believe we strung him up by his ball sack," the leftward feline stated with a straight face, studying her razor sharp nails.

The sister on the right objected, "No. No. We strung him up by his—well it wasn't his ball sack."

Po was now feeling very queasy. How could his luck be this bad? Sometimes, he'd preferred life when he'd been more rotund and girls refused to even look at him, much less speak with him.

He was brought out of his self-pitying thoughts by the eldest cat, "Well. What would you prefer? Hung up by your balls or—the other thing?" she asked with an eyebrow raised.

 **'Well that settles it…you're definitely not having kids,'** Red confirmed.

"Not helping," Po muttered back.

Never in his life had he feared more for his well-being. Not when he faced Tai-Lung, nor Shen, nor even Kai. These felines were absolutely terrifying.

Po gulped before responding to the trio, "Listen. I'm really sorry for staring. I just wanted a chair. Do you know where the furniture shop is? Please don't hurt me."

They stared at him for several seconds before all three of them fell to the ground and burst out giggling. Po just stood there in absolute lack of understanding. One second they'd been out for his blood and now they were rolling on the ground in fits of laughter, tears streaming down their faces.

 **'I'm totally mind-fucked.'**

Po nodded slowly, still trying to comprehend the situation.

Minutes later, the trio finally managed to regain their composure as they rose to their feet. Wiping tears from her eyes, the eldest sister began, "I'm so sorry. We were just playing with you. I hope we didn't scare you too much."

Po let out a sigh of relief.

"It's no problem," he returned as coolly as he could.

Shaking her head the mountain cat smiled, "Anyways. My name is Su." Turning, she motioned to her sister wearing the dark red garb, "this is Wing." Spinning to her right, she pointed to her sister wearing the dark green garb, "and this is Wan."

Po nodded towards each of them in respect, "It's nice to meet you ladies. My name is Po."

Their eyes widened at this, giving each other sideways glances in delight. What good fortune! They all nodded in silent agreement. The Dragon Warrior deserved **very** special treatment.

Wu then put her hands on her hips as her gaze leveled with the panda.

"Now what can we interest you in? Spa & Sauna? Chiropractic treatment? Massage? Or…something else?" she asked, each offer rolling of her tongue effortlessly.

"Oh…No thank you ladies. I just wondered if you knew where a furniture shop was," Po answered oblivious to Su's implication.

"We insist. It's on the house," Su persuaded. Wing and Wan both stepped forward. Taking the bag of clothes from his hand, they set it on the front desk. Then gripping the panda's arms, the duo dragged him towards the back with Su in tow.

"We feel very guilty about scaring you back there," Wing admitted in a low voice.

Wan nodded her head rapidly, "Let us make it up to you," she offered with a sultry smile.

The trio guided the black and white warrior to a wooden door. Opening it, the inside was revealed to be a sauna with multiple massage stations. Lugging the big bear over, they finally sat him down on a large comfortable lounge chair. Wing and Wan sitting close—a little too close—on either side of him and Su's warm chest was pressed up against his back.

"You've lucked out my friend. Normally, customers only get one masseuse, but since you're the only one here you get the special three-way treatment," Su offered in a smooth voice with Wing and Wan both clasping their hands together.

Po being the oblivious oaf that he was still didn't pick up on the hints, "Well, I am a little sore from training. I'm pretty stiff." As he said this he looked over across the room, the fascinating designs etched into the tile wall caught his eye.

Su's eyes widened at his choice of words, "Stiff you say?"

Po looked at the elder sister nodding. He didn't notice the looks that the other two were giving him.

"Yeah definitely stiff," he responded with certainty before his gaze wandered back to the wall.

Su smirked, "Where? If I may ask?"

Po continued to stare at the wall ignorant of the hungry looks he was receiving. Wing and Wan were biting their lips now staring at the panda, or more so his nether regions.

"My back," Po answered truthfully. Su raised an eyebrow at this.

Wing started to swirl her claws in Po's chest fur looking up at him. She had shifted even closer than before, basically straddling the Dragon Warrior at this point, "Anywhere else?"

Po gave a moment of thought before nodding, "Yeah, I guess my shoulders and arms are kinda stiff as well."

The feline sisters huffed in frustration of the panda's incognizance. Still they continued to push. Wan shifted closer to him, knocking Wing off of his lap and off the chair. Wing immediately recovered from her fall and looked murderously at her sister.

Ignoring the death stare from her sibling, Wan continued to press the panda "How about anything in the lower regions?"

As she asked him her claw ran down his stomach. Still not catching on, Po scratched his head.

"My calves are pretty sore too," he admitted.

Wan looked at him in slight contempt. She rolled her eyes before throwing her hands up in defeat.

Su was massaging her temples in exasperation. No male had ever been this restrained or this clueless to their advances before. At this point any other man would have been ready to jump their bones.

"Po you are telling me that there is nothing else that is **unbearably** stiff that needs attention?" she drawled eying the panda.

All three of the felines were now looking intently at him, awaiting his response. Po looked back and forth between the trio, eventually shrugging his shoulders.

"I don't know. I'm sure there are some other knots and kinks that need to be worked out. You're the professionals. Just do whatever," he stated finally.

Su quirked her lip as she and her sisters exchange glances. Accepting that was probably the best they were going to get out of him, they shrugged.

Su sauntered over to one of the cabinets, subsequently pulling out a medium sized white towel. She spun around and tossed the towel over to Po. Po looked down at the towel and back at Su in question.

"You have to change. No pants in the sauna," she teased him with a smile. This wasn't actually a rule, but the Dragon Warrior didn't have to know that.

Po looked abashed at this. Wing and Wan continued to stare at him.

"Well?" Wing questioned watching him like a hawk.

"Um…where do I change," Po asked, his face reddening.

Wan smirked at him, "You can do it right her big guy."

Po's eyes bugged out of their sockets. No one had ever seen him naked. And he'd never seen anyone naked either; besides the time in the hotel with Tigress and that barely counted.

"Now. Now. Wan play nice," Su scolded her younger sister. Wan rolled her eyes. Turning to Po, the elder sibling smiled gently, "There's a changing room in the back. Two doors down on the left," she said pointing him in the direction.

"Thanks," Po mumbled back, soon after disappearing down the hall.

Seconds after he'd left Wing giggled, "I like him. He's cute."

Su nodded in agreement, before whacking the back of Wan's head.

"Ow! What was that for?" Wan fumed, rubbing the tender spot on her skull.

Su looked disapprovingly at her. "That's for almost scaring him off."

Wan mumbled a sorry while Wing stretched herself over the lounge chair.

As they waited Wing let out a dry chuckle, drawing the attention of her two sisters.

"What?" Su asked.

Wing just shook her head, "I was just thinking how glad I am that we're not in crime anymore. If we were, we'd never have all of this," she divulged motioning to the building around them.

Wan nodded in agreement, "Yeah. This life is pretty sweet. We're well off, doing something we love, and there are no imperial guards always on our tails."

They all hummed in agreement. Then a thought occurred to Su.

"Isn't the Dragon Warrior supposed to have an encyclopedic knowledge of all Kung Fu related things?" she wondered aloud.

Her two sister's heads shot up. They had been wondering the same thing.

"Yeah…you'd think that'd he would be able to recognize the Wu Sisters," Wan joked, elbowing Wing. Wing just smothered a laugh.

"You kidding? He couldn't take a hint even if it hit him with a carriage," she guffawed.

Su chuckled at this. Heading over to the pool at the center of the room, she shoveled some hot coals into the water. Steam slowly but surely began to fill the room. Once she was satisfied, Su walked over to the counter and pulled out a cup and teapot. Pouring some tea into the cup, she also added a few other special herbs. Holding the cup daintily in her paws, she walked back over to her sisters and set the mug down on the table next to the lounge chair.

"What's that?" Wing asked in confusion. They didn't normally serve tea to customers.

"Oh…nothing. Just some herb tea to help soothe the Dragon Warrior," Su revealed with an innocent smile.

* * *

"This is a nice place," Po said to himself as he examined the bathroom's interior. He was already changed out of his pants. Only the white towel—which barely fit him—separated his lower regions from view.

 **'Y'know man…I'm all for getting laid. But these chicks rub me the wrong way,'** Red jabbered.

"What are you talking about? We're just getting a massage," Po retorted shaking his head.

 **'Gods you are dense! Did you not hear those crazy bimbos? They want the D!'**

Po, who'd been trying to secure the towel around his waist, almost fumbled it. An exasperated look emerged upon the panda's face at this.

"I'm not dense! You're just sex-crazed! For the record, they didn't mention anything about my privates, besides hanging me up by them," Po maintained, finally managing to secure the towel.

 **'If anyone is sex-crazed it's those nutty felines out there! Did you not hear them? Asking if you were STIFF anywhere in your lower regions?'** Red pestered in irritation.

"Su and her sisters are Chiropractors and Masseuses they're supposed to ask where I'm sore and stiff," Po groaned, getting fed up with Red's incessant paranoia.

 **'You're completely hopeless…We are getting off topic anyways. Something about them bothers me. Sisters that are named Su, Wing, and Wan? That sounds so familiar,'** Red pondered, a rare moment of mature thought from the voice.

Po shook his head and exited the door, heading back towards the sauna. Eventually, Po arrived back at the room—now filled with steam—to find the sisters motioning him towards the lounge chair.

He obliged, slowly walking over to the seat. After sitting down, Su came over with a cup in her hand. Handing to Po she smiled.

"Here's some herbal tea…It'll help calm your nerves," she offered.

Po smiled back at her. It was nice to have someone wait on him. Not that he didn't mind waiting on others, it was just a nice change for once.

Bringing the hot mug up to his lips, the panda was about to take a swig.

 **'Don't drink that! It's probably poisoned!'** Red blurted.

Po nearly spilled the cup of steaming tea all over himself. For heaven sakes! He couldn't even have a drink without Red interfering somehow.

Po just ignored the voice and brought the cup back to his mouth and drank it all in one mouthful despite the voiced condemnation from Red.

"Good boy. Now lay down on your stomach," Su instructed.

As Po lay down, the three felines got to work. Their paws slowly worked along his sore back as he lay down, staring off into space.

'I could get used to this,' Po thought in satisfaction, resting his head on the lounge chair.

* * *

It was almost 11 AM now. The sun was rapidly rising in the sky and its rays shone down upon the Jade Palace barracks. A couple of hours had past since Po had left to the Valley.

Inside the barracks, light shone through the open widow of none other than Master Tigress's room. The slumbering feline lay in her bed, fast asleep. Normally an early riser, the tiger master very rarely slept in. Considering that Shifu was out on his trip and Po wasn't nearly as strict as the grandmaster when it came to punctual morning training, Tigress was enjoying the rare event of sleeping in. It may have also been related to the fact that Saber, the Five, and her had been up all night talking and sharing stories.

Tigress, curled up in a ball, continued to doze until a stray leaf from the peach tree fluttered through her open window onto her peaceful face. Her once neutral expression shifted to an irritated one, as her eyes scrunched and her nose twitched.

"Achooo!" she sneezed loudly, effectively waking her from her catnap.

Sitting up in bed, Tigress wiped her eyes and yawned, stretching her arms up high above her head while doing so.

Swinging her legs down from the bed, the feline rose to her feet and stretched her back out, trying to rid herself of a couple knots that she'd picked up in her sleep. Fully awake, the female master strode over to her closet to retrieve her outfit and wraps for the day.

Opening the doors to her closet, she looked along the rows of training outfits; her original red qipao vest, her formal silver qipao vest for the winter ceremonial events, and her current long sleeved yellow hanfu, along with roughly a dozen pairs of black training pants. Viper had tried to get her to go shopping for more variety in her attire, but she'd never followed up on it.

Selecting the usual long sleeved hanfu and training pants due to the frigid weather, Tigress placed them on the bed. Quickly making sure her doors were locked, Tigress slipped out of her night gown. Standing completely nude, she walked back over to the closet and opened the drawer that contained the roll of wrapping. Reaching down into the drawer, she came out with only the box…she was out.

Face palming, Tigress scolded herself.

They had been down in the valley the other day and Viper had suggested that she cough up and buy the expensive wraps that could be washed and reused. However, she'd never liked to spend money, so she continued to buy the cheap disposable kind. And now she was paying the price.

'Maybe no one will notice,' Tigress thought hopefully. Walking over to the bed, she slipped on her under garments before putting on her pants and hanfu. Quickly striding over to the mirror she examined herself. Any hopes of modesty were dispelled. What was she gonna do! She couldn't be seen like this!

Growing up as a child, Tigress had never really worried about wraps. However, once she'd hit puberty, it had become clear that wraps were nothing if not necessary. By as early as 16, her ever-growing feminine assets had become a problem; slowing down and hindering her performance in the martial arts, not to mention attracting the wrong kind of attention. Loose training pants were a simple fix for her lower body. However, her bust proved to be much more problematic. After a number of failed attempts to hide it, wraps had become the only solution.

Naturally, Shifu had demanded that Tigress wear them at all times, to not only prevent hindrance while fighting, but also avert distractions for male colleagues or acquaintances.

As far as the Jade Palace members—aside from Viper and Shifu— and the rest of China knew, Tigress was as flat as a wooden board. This was a huge misconception, albeit a well-kept one.

Never a fan of her figure, it had always been a burden in her training. The female warrior at times wished that she'd never acquired it; even though many women would kill to have a similar body.

Groaning in frustration, Tigress stared critically at her reflection.

The hanfu was straining tightly against her ample chest quite blatantly. Not only that, but the garb seemed to meld to her contours, making it even more glaring. It was very **very** obvious that she wasn't wearing wraps. Heck! Even Po could probably tell. And he couldn't take a hint even if it dropped out of the sky and hit him on the head.

Tigress's eyes widened suddenly.

"Wait! That's it!" she realized.

Po had been talking about going down to the Valley and buying groceries and supplies. She just needed to get him to buy her some new wraps. She just needed to tell him. Hopefully the others wouldn't find out. Monkey and Mantis were so immature, they'd never let her live this down. Viper would hold this over her, since she hadn't listened to the snake's advice. Crane knowing would just make things awkward. And Saber…well she just didn't want Saber to know. There were some things that she wouldn't trust anyone with…except for Po.

Quietly, Tigress opened her door. Looking both ways to make sure no one else was around, she slunk over to the Dragon Warrior's room. Quietly knocking on his door, Tigress whispered, "Po are you awake?" No response. After several more attempts, Tigress eventually opened his door. Looking inside, she groaned.

Po's room was empty, no sign of the black and white warrior.

'Maybe he's at the Training Hall?' she pondered hopefully.

Tigress swiftly turned and zipped out of the barracks across the grounds towards the Training Hall. Arriving at the hall's doors, she opened them only to find the room dark and uninhabited.

"Where the heck is he!" Tigress growled in aggravation, slamming the door shut.

This was certainly troublesome. Knowing Po, the Training Hall and his room had been her best bet. There was only a number of three places he could be now; the Dragon Grotto, the Sacred Pool of Tears, or down in the valley. All three of which were too far for her to travel in her current state.

"Is everything alright Master Tigress?"

Tigress almost jumped out of her skin at this. Fighting her reflex to spin around, she angled her head and shifted her body to try and hide her chest; crossing her arms for good measure. Straining her neck to see who it was; it was none other than Zeng.

"Yes! Everything is fine Zeng," Tigress replied quickly.

The goose gave her a skeptical look, eyeing her. Normally, the female tiger was quite cool in conversation, but she seemed rather jittery. However, it wasn't his place to pry. Zeng refrained from questioning her anymore, not only because it was rude, but also because pestering Tigress was never a clever idea.

"Alright, I just wanted to let you know that the others are in the kitchen eating. They were asking about you," he informed her.

Tigress's ears perked up at this.

"Is Po with them?"

Shaking his head, Zeng answered, "No he isn't. He went down to the valley several hours ago. He's yet to return."

Tigress cursed herself. Of all the days she'd chosen to sleep in, of course it would be today.

"Did he tell you what he was going there to do?" she asked.

"He didn't tell me anything. All I saw was him leaving down the stairs and talking to himself. It was rather eerie," Zeng revealed with a slight crevice in his brow.

Tigress's worries dispersed for a moment at Zeng's comment.

"Talking to himself?"

The goose nodded, "Yeah. Like, a full blown conversation. I'm telling you, he hasn't been the same since Kai."

Tigress frowned in thought. This was an interesting development. She'd have to ask him about this later.

"Anyways, I'll leave you to…whatever you're doing," the goose said with a shrug of his shoulders, heading off.

Sighing in relief, Tigress waited a few more moments to ensure that Zeng had gone before heading back to her dorm.

Stepping inside, she closed the door behind. Scrunching her eyebrows in thought, Tigress attempted to search for a solution.

Huffing, the female tiger strode over to her closet and threw the doors open. The feline's eyes scanning for any possible solution to her problem, her gaze fell upon one of the many pairs of black training pants she wore. Grabbing hold of it, she eyed the pants before sighing in admission.

Extending her pointer finger, Tigress unsheathed one of her many razor sharp claws. In quick and effortless motions, she made several incisions along the cloth's material. The result was a sizable length of fabric that could be used as a makeshift wrap.

Retracting her claw, Tigress quickly undid her hanfu and let it drop to the floor at her feet. Taking hold of the fabric, the feline began to coil it tightly around her chest. After a few loops, she tied the ends of each side together. Bending over, she picked up and secured her hanfu around her torso. It wasn't as tight as earlier.

Walking over, she examined her handiwork in the mirror. Albeit not customary, the makeshift wrap did quite well in hiding any signs of her figure. While not perfect, it would take heavy scrutiny to notice any difference in her appearance than a normal day.

Nodding in satisfaction, Tigress smoothed out her attire and exited her room. Hopefully Po would arrive sooner rather than later. She definitely didn't want to continue using these makeshift wraps any longer than absolutely necessary.

Arriving at the kitchen door frame, Tigress was careful to avoid the kitchen knife embedded in the wall. No one seemed to know where it had come from.

Entering the room, Tigress immediately identified the smell of Saber's congee in the air. As ever, it smelled heavenly; albeit in her opinion, Po's soup was better. Walking in, the others turned their heads at the sound of the feline's faint footsteps.

"Good Morning! We were about to send out a search party," Saber said with a smile, jokingly.

The others laughed at this as Tigress served herself some of the congee before sitting down in her spot.

"Ha…Ha…" Tigress murmured good-naturedly, rolling her eyes.

The others began to chat amongst themselves as Tigress focused in on her food.

"So what do you guys do around her for fun?" Saber asked drumming his claws on the wooden table.

They just shrugged their shoulders in indifference. As warriors they didn't usually get off days, tending to train rather than anything else. They had been slacking the past few days, granted crime in the valley was currently at an all-time low, so days of relaxation may not be a completely rash possibility.

"Really? No Club? No Bar? Nothing?" Saber asked with genuine surprise on his face.

"We go to the hot springs occasionally, but besides that…no," Monkey replied.

"Not bad…but I'm sure there's something to do around here," Saber pondered, scratching his head in thought.

Keenly listening to the conversation, Tigress spooned another mouthful of congee into her mouth, only to come up empty. Looking down, the female warrior realized that she'd finished. Standing up, she walked over and put her dish in the sink. That's when Saber shot up out of his seat with a smile on his face. The others looked at him with interest.

"I've got an idea! You guys stay right here!" he said enthusiastically, racing out the door.

The Five scratched their heads in curiosity.

"Wonder what he's up to?" Mantis remarked.

Shaking their heads, they supposed they'd wait and see.

Rising from his seat, Crane walked over to the pot, which still had a little congee left in it. Quite full from his portion, the bird turned back around with a questioning look.

"Who wants the rest of the congee?"

Before he could even blink, Monkey had rushed over to the pot. The ape as hungry as ever, possibly a bad habit he'd picked up from Po before the panda had started dieting.

"Mine!"

Grasping the pot's handle, the golden langur was about to down the rest of congee until a green blur zipped across the room and snatched the pot away from him.

"Hey!" Monkey bellowed.

Mantis atop the counter a few meters away, with the pot held above his head.

"Sorry monkey-boy, but I'll be taking this," the insect master gibed.

Monkey's eyes narrowed before diving at the bug. Mantis's eyes widened, as the other master flew across the room at him. A short tussle commenced soon after.

"Give it back you greedy goblin! You're the smallest here and you already eat the most!" Monkey fumed, trying to snatch the pot away.

"Are you calling me short booger brain?" Mantis retorted.

The two continued to trade insults as they tussled for the pot. Watching intently, the rest of the Five sat there in silence. The duo juggled the pot back and forth until it slipped out of their grasp and slide over to the feet of Tigress. Not noticing, the two immature masters continued fighting.

Monkey finally trapped Mantis in his hands, cupping them together. His moment of victory was short lived however. Moments later, the ape started to be flung back and forth onto the floor.

Frowning at the two, Tigress picked up the pot. With a small smirk, she downed the entire thing in one gulp before tossing the empty pot back over to the brawling buffoons.

 ** _Clang!_**

Halting their quarrel, Mantis and Monkey's heads snapped over to see the now empty pot. Groaning in annoyance, the two untangled from each other and dusted themselves off, muttering curses under their breaths.

"Hey guys I'm back!" Saber announced, entering the kitchen, oblivious to the moments prior.

Slung over his shoulder he held a sizable burlap sack. Tossing it down onto the empty table, the tiger began rummaging around inside. The others eyed him, curious as to what lay inside.

"Aha!" he exclaimed, pulling out a small box.

"That's your big surprise?" Mantis asked, not very impressed. Viper gave the insect a withering gaze.

 ** _Thwap!_**

"Ow!" Mantis yelped, rubbing the back of his neck. Viper just smirked at him.

Ignorant to Mantis's condescending remark, the white tiger smiled, opening the box to reveal a set of necklaces.

"I got these for you guys on my travels. I just now remembered, being the scatterbrain that I am," Saber explained sheepishly.

Walking over, he handed each of the Five a necklace, he'd even gotten one that fit Mantis.

The necklaces were stunning in design; the cords were simple rope, but the pendants were each masterfully crafted and unique. The pendants were circular pieces of steel, however, each pendant held the image of a different element.

Viper's pendant was a light blue rain-drop; water. Across from her, Crane was admiring his pendant, a grey spiraling swirl; wind. Mantis had received a yellow bolt for his pendant; lightning. Monkey's was a tan mountain; earth. Lastly, Tigress's contained a red flame; fire.

"Yeah…I thought these necklaces kinda symbolized you guys," Saber offered with a smile.

It was rather true, and none of them could deny that. Their fighting styles and characteristics exemplified each of the respective elements. Viper was lithe and graceful, much like the flow of water…Crane was smooth and poised, similar to the wind…Mantis was quick and sharp, like that of lightning…Monkey was tough and steady, alike that of the earth…Tigress was fierce and powerful, much like fire.

Thanking Saber, they continued to admire the engraved necklaces before he pulled out several bows from inside the burlap sack, along with several quivers of arrows.

"Uh…Saber we have bows in the weapon storages already. If you wanted to do archery, you could have asked," Tigress pointed out.

Shaking his head, Saber chuckled in anticipation. Removing an arrow from one of the quivers, instead of being tipped with a broad head, it was tipped with a cushioned pad covered in red dye.

After further inspection, it turned out each bow and quiver pair contained a different color; red, blue, green, or purple.

"You guys ever played Archery Tag before?" he asked with a wicked grin.

* * *

Po was in heaven…well not exactly, but it was the closest he was ever going to get. After over an hour an hour of massaging and chiropractic readjusting, he felt more relaxed than he had in a long time. Currently, he was sitting in a mineral bath, his joints and muscles were in absolute euphoria.

"I've got to come here more often," he sighed in satisfaction.

"Are you ready for the last portion of your treatment?" a voice asked from behind him.

Recognizing Su's voice, Po removed the cucumber slices from his eyes that blocked his vision. Hopefully it wasn't acupuncture. After his experience with Mantis, he'd never do it again; Tigress herself couldn't convince him otherwise. He then floated over to the steps before grabbing his towel. Swiftly, Po covered himself and secured the cloth around his waist. His back still to Su, he exited the pool, turning around.

"Yeah, are you guys almost done, because I really need to-"

Po's eyes almost popped out of their sockets. Standing in front of him were the three siblings in nothing but their undergarments. It took all his willpower to maintain eye contact with them.

"It's time for you to deliver payment, Dragon Warrior," Wing giggled. The other two smirked at the now shrinking panda.

 **'What did I tell you? Huh? What did I tell you?'** Red vindicated.

"How much? I'll ask the staff to bring down the payment from the palace later," Po offered weakly.

This attempt proved to be hopeless, as the trio shook their heads.

"Not the type of payment we had in mind," Su murmured. The trio began to creep forward towards the vulnerable panda.

Po had begun to back-track, until he reached the edge of the mineral pool. He hated to admit, but it was becoming glaringly obvious that Red's paranoia wasn't without reason…this time. Not paying attention, the panda's foot caught on the bottom of his towel as he took another step back. The formerly secure towel began to loosen and before he realized what was happening, it was too late. The towel slowly slipped, almost as if in slow motion, from his waist.

'Uh-oh.'

Right after the towel tumbled to the floor, leaving him stark naked. Well…someone has seen him naked now. The scene was almost comical, if not for the fact that Po wasn't even mildly amused. The same couldn't be said for Red, who was busting his guts.

 **'Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha!'**

The Wu Sister's eye's widened in shock from the spectacle before them. Slack jawed; Wan recovered first, "Holy Shi-"

Taking advantage of the accidental distraction, Po snatched and flung the towel towards the dazed felines. The white cloth tangled around their heads, effectively blinding them for several seconds. Rushing forward, Po sweep-kicked the trio. Knocking them to the ground and further entangling them in the towel.

"Sorry! Bye!" he apologized quickly before dashing out. Not wasting any time to change, he sprinted down the hall towards the lobby.

Untangling themselves, the sisters jumped to their feet. Scanning the room, they confirmed their suspicions…he was gone.

"Ughh!" they groaned in frustration.

 ***In the lobby***

Quickly snagging his bag of new clothes, Po slipped on his pants and secured his vest within seconds before speedily exiting the establishment.

"Never going back there again," he mumbled.

Adjusting his clothing, he slipped back into the crowds of people. He'd already wasted over an hour of his time and he still hadn't bought any supplies or food from the shops.

* * *

Standing outside the Training Hall, surrounding a wooden table, the group was listening to Saber explain 'Archery Tag'. It was a game that he'd learned from people of India; a pacific people. Naturally, they would modify an art of war to something that could be indulged by children.

"The rules are simple, really," he began, while passing out bows and quivers to the others. Tigress got the red dyed arrows, Monkey got green, and Crane got purple; leaving blue for Saber. Viper being armless and Mantis being too small to properly fire a bow, had decided to sit out. They seemed perfectly content to watch.

"Why do I have to get purple?" Crane complained indignantly. Monkey laughed, jabbing the bird with his elbow. They continued to listen as they strapped their quivers on.

"It's every man…or woman," he continued, eyeing Tigress with a grin.

"for themselves. No shooting someone within a 10 meter radius…try not to aim for the face."

Everyone looked at Tigress when he said this. Glancing around, she noticed this. Huffing she strapped her quiver on, giving the others a 'don't tempt me' look.

Saber held in a laugh at this, "Lastly, you can reuse arrows, but they must be yours. Once your quiver is empty, you're done. Person with most hits wins," he finished quickly.

Snatching up a bow and quiver from the outdoor table, he took off; disappearing from sight. Assuming that meant the game's start, the other three masters knocked their bows and sprinted off in opposite directions.

A few minutes later, Tigress found herself leaning behind a pillar of the Training Hall. The game had been rather uneventful so far. She hadn't encountered anyone once, but judging from the shouts of surprise and laughter that had come from across the palace grounds, this wasn't the case for the others.

Sensing a presence, she quietly peeked her head out from behind the pillar…only to get socked square in the snout by a green arrow.

 ** _Pop!_**

Cursing, Tigress ducked her head back behind cover. Massaging her sore snout that was now plastered with bright green dye, she heard fits of giggling from the blasted monkey that shot her **_IN THE FACE!_**

"Bullseye!" Monkey managed in between laughs, tears streaming down his face. Unfortunately for him, he'd just both figuratively and literally poked a tiger with a stick.

"YOU'RE SO DEAD!" Tigress growled in absolute fury. Grabbing a handful of arrows from her quiver, she spun out from behind the pillar. Sprinting at the stunned golden langur, she unloaded over a dozen arrows in continuous succession. Every single one hitting the target, Monkey fled across the grounds. However, Tigress still fuming continued to chase after the ape, peppering him with arrows.

 ** _*Time Skip*_**

It had turned out to be quite a fun game. No one had managed to remain unscathed. Everyone, including Tigress, was marked with some type of dye powder. After over two hours, Crane and Monkey had quit after consuming all their arrows. They were currently sitting on the steps waiting for the game's end. Crane had several dye marks across his body, a combination of green, red, and blue; nothing too outrageous. The same couldn't be said for Monkey who had a few marks of blue and purple, but was absolutely covered in red dye. Tigress had been very thorough. Every inch of his formerly golden coat was now bright red. He might as well have been a Red Langur. This didn't go unnoticed by the normally reserved bird master.

"What happened to you?" Crane asked humorously, hiding his growing smirk behind his wing.

Monkey scowled at him, "Shut up."

Mantis hopped over onto the painted ape's shoulder, struggling to keep a straight face.

"You mad bro? You seem a little red in the face," he choked out.

This comment was the final straw that broke the metaphorical camel's back. Not able to contain his laughter anymore, Mantis broke down in a fit of giggles; Crane soon joining him.

Monkey just crossed his arms, an annoyed look plastered on his face…This was going to be a long wait. Hopefully, the game would be over soon. After all, it was now only Tigress and Saber left.

Tigress was currently, hiding behind a bush in the gardens, scanning the terrain for her tiger counter-part. Her search was answered shortly by a blue dye arrow whipping by her head from behind. Spinning around, she dodged another incoming projectile that had been aimed for her back. Firing an arrow back at Saber in retaliation, it skimmed past his shoulder, missing by millimeters. Reaching for another arrow, Tigress realized she only had two left. Frowning at this, she quickly knocked her second to last arrow and drew her bow back. Seeing this Saber ducked out of sight.

Deciding a tactical retreat was in order; Tigress back flipped over the shrubs and slid down the slope towards the stone trail that connected the Jade Palace with the thousand steps. She believed she had fired some arrows down there earlier. Having only two arrows left, she needed to restock.

* * *

The sun was gleaming down from the noon sky, warming the chilled fur of the panda trudging up the path to the Jade Palace. In his arms he held a plethora of supplies and items he'd bought from the marketplace. In retrospect, he probably should have considered bringing a crate to carry all of the items he was juggling around.

"Too late for that," he thought out loud. His front vision completely blocked by the mountain of supplies in his arms, the bear focused on the path below him. Careful not to slip or fall, Po's eye caught sight of something peculiar. An arrow lay along the trail at his feet. Interestingly enough, it wasn't a normal arrow, but one tipped with a red dyed cushion.

'What in the heck?' he thought in question.

Shifting all of the items' weight onto his right arm, he bent down.

Careful not to drop anything, he snatched the arrow off the ground. Just as it appeared, it was a harmless modification of a normally deadly weapon. This thing couldn't hurt a fly, much less kill. After examining it, he shrugged before tossing it up into the pile in his hands. Continuing his journey up the trail, his arms were beginning to tire. Although he was impressed with himself, he didn't think he could last much longer.

"How much farther?" he huffed out.

 **'Quit whining. We're almost there.'**

Po grumbled in annoyance. Of course Red could say that. He wasn't actually doing any of the heavy lifting. Traveling farther up the path, Po began to hear faint footsteps. Frowning, Po focused in on the sound. Eventually, arriving at the last stretch of the path, the footsteps grew louder and louder.

 **'Uh-oh,'** was all that Red managed before they were barreled into by a large force.

* * *

Tigress had already managed to collect several arrows along the path as she speedily traversed down it. Believing that Saber was on her tail, she picked up the pace. However, unbeknownst to Tigress, Saber had gone searching for her in the opposite side of the palace grounds. Spotting another red arrow, she snagged it off the ground.

'Just a few more,' she thought in certainty.

Turning the corner, she didn't expect to see a figure traveling up the path. Going too fast to stop, she closed her eyes as she crashed into the being.

"Oooof!" they both exclaimed in slight pain as they were sent tumbling down the mountain from Tigress's momentum. As they continued to plummet down the terrain in a painful fashion, items and supplies spilled everywhere. It was a complete disaster for both parties. Eventually they tumbled to a stop, with Tigress lying atop the figure that lay painfully on his back.

"Ughhh," he moaned in discomfort, being the one to take most of the fall.

Opening her eyes, Tigress gaped down as the figure was revealed to be **_Po_**! Of course it had to be Po. He seemed to attract trouble, like a magnet.

Po lay tiredly on his sore back. That fall pretty much undoing all the good that the massage had done and then some.

 **'Y'know…when I said I wanted chicks falling for us…this wasn't what I meant.'**

Po grimaced, already forming a headache from the fall, Red wasn't helping. Opening his eyes, he was surprised when his gaze met with Tigress. Where had she come from?

"Hey…" he let out with a slight grin, although it looked more like a grimace.

Tigress normally so composed was anything but. Still lying atop him, with her chest pressed up against his face, she gave an awkward smile back, "Hey…"

Po's face began to heat up due to the close proximity of the felines presence, or more so her chest. Finally noticing their inappropriate position, Tigress began to blush as well. Untangling herself from the panda, she rose to her feet.

Although Po didn't want to admit it, he suddenly missed the warmth and physical contact as soon as Tigress had separated from him. Shaking off the feeling, he also rose to his feet with a little help from the feline master.

"You alright?" he asked while dusting himself off. He winced as he felt several new stiff and sore places that ached whenever he moved.

"Yes…Yes I am. I'm very sorry Po, I didn't-" she began before slipping as her foot caught on one of the many scattered items at their feet. Ironically, it was a small box containing her breast wraps that caused her stumble. Falling backward, she would've almost eaten dirt for the second time that day if Po hadn't quickly seized her by her sides, steadying her. Bending over, Po retrieved the item off the ground with a blush still very apparent on his face.

As if things couldn't have gotten more awkward, beneath Tigress's hanfu, her makeshift wraps had substantially loosened throughout their tumble down the mountain and they'd continued to loosen slowly afterwards. However, Po jerking her back to her feet had been the breaking point for the wraps. Unknotting, the wraps fell and gave way to Tigress's considerable assets.

Po's peripheral vision initially picked up movement in the felines chest area. And his jaw dropped in disbelief as Tigress's bust expanded almost instantaneously. His eyes were wide as dinner plates his gaze had become fixed on the features before him that had basically popped into existence.

 **'Holy Mother of Fun Bags!'** Red sputtered, never failing to express his immense vocabulary.

Tigress who had immediately noticed the lack of resistance, glanced down. Her blush intensifying, she did her best to shield herself, crossing her arms. This must have been one of the most awkward moments in her life. Although it could have been worse, this definitely wasn't her first choice on how she'd hoped to inform Po of her current situation. The panda in question was still in a daze as his mouth hung wide open. Feeling rather self-conscious, Tigress cleared her throat.

*Ahem*

This seemed to do the trick as Po was brought out of his shock. Realizing that he'd been staring, he quickly pried his eyes away from the feline's bust. This was pretty awkward. His usually snow white face was noticeably tinted pink from the rush of blood to his head. Additionally, his head wasn't the only place that the blood was rushing.

Stumbling over his words, the bear managed, "H-here you g-go Tigress…um…Viper…she…uh said that you needed these."

 **'Real smooth,'** Red snorted.

Ignoring him, Po reached over and carefully handed the box of wraps to the feline master. Swiftly, he turned away and began to collect the other fallen items along the path. He was trying to keep busy in order to prevent his mind from wandering to…certain thoughts.

Tigress just stood there clutching the box of wraps in her hands as she carefully watched the panda with an unnaturally timid look upon her face.

"So…are you going to tell the others?" she asked in a small voice. Po ceased in his movements before finally looking up and making eye contact with her. When anyone thought of Master Tigress, they envisioned a noble warrior—regal. A master that oozed confidence and showed that through her manner and the way she held herself. Po saw none of this. What he saw was something that Tigress rarely showed…vulnerability. She looked like the young orphan from over two decades ago. A little girl who was all alone, until Shifu had adopted her.

"Tell the others what?" Po inquired in a delicate tone.

Tigress bit her lip and looked away, "Y'know…what you saw?"

Po frowned at this. Of course he wasn't going to mouth off to the others over something that Tigress obviously couldn't control. There was nothing shameful about having large…assets.

"No. I'm not…It's something private of yours. If you wished to disclose it, then you would have," he returned levelly.

Tigress eyes narrowed slightly, almost as if trying to detect any deceit in his manner. Soon realizing that the panda was completely honest, she strode over and enveloped him in a tight hug.

"Thank you Po."

Normally Po was all for hugging. However, he felt rather awkward hugging her in this instance, especially due to her now unrestrained bust pressing up against him, as well as something that had snaked up his leg. Tigress eventually noticed his discomfort and released him. She also noticed that while she'd hugged Po her tail had unconsciously looped around his leg. Quickly removing the appendage, she took a sizable step back.

"I probably should go change into these," she blurted out sheepishly.

Po silently nodded in return. Tigress gave him a faint smile before turning tail and heading quickly up the stairs towards the barracks.

After her figure disappeared out of sight, Po was left alone to pick up the scattered items along the path. His mind was whirling from the recent turn of events. At this point, his thoughts were just as scattered as the items were. He hoped things wouldn't be too awkward with Tigress.

'I probably could've handled that better,' the panda muttered to himself.

 **'If I had a yuan for every time that you could've handled something better,'** Red remarked.

Po huffed in irritation, "Shut up."

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **And done! Chapter 6 completed! I hope you liked it!**

 **One more thing, this story is a strong T rating in my opinion, due to moderate profanity, adult and semi-sexual themes. This chapter is about as mature as the story can & will get, give or take. This story by no means will have any lemons or smut in it. I don't think this story necessitates an M rating, but I'm new to this website, so you guys let me know if you believe this story requires a rating change.**

 **That's all for now. I hope you guys have a great New Year! I'll see you next time!**

 **Frost2001 out.**


	8. Chapter 7: Darkness Spreads

**A/N: Hey guys I'm back! Sorry it's been nearly...3 months since the last update. However, I put a lot of effort into this chapter, it's over 15k words excluding these ANs. Schools been rough, as well as all the other extracurricular stuff I do. Anyways, I'll cut myself short here so you guys can get to the story!**

 **Read & Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Dream Works or Kung Fu Panda. I only own this specific plot and my OCs.**

* * *

 **CH VII**

 **Darkness Spreads**

 _Tibet Province_

 _Specific Location: Unknown_

One of the coldest and most desolate provinces in all of Asia, the mountains of Tibet, were the perfect description of Hell freezing over. It was no surprise that this land was all but inhabitable, seeing as it was covered with snow and the temperature was below freezing throughout the entire year. Nothing grew in the rocky soils of this land; the province was lifeless. Only a fool would wander out here, which made it the perfect place for those who didn't want to be found.

High above the frozen terrain stood a seemingly desolate fortress. Enclosed in the dark crevices of the snowcapped mountains, it was sheltered not only from the bitter winter winds but from the view of any keen observers. Any land dwelling creature would find it virtually impossible to traverse up the mountain without knowing the concealed pathways.

It was midnight; the glow from the faded moon did little to illuminate the menacing Himalayan Mountains that towered over the landscape in comparison. Inside the dark stronghold were several rooms, all dimly lit by torches. Each room looked like a dungeon more than anything else—cold, dark, grimy, and all around unpleasant. In one of these very rooms, trudging towards the center was the Council of Masters. Chained, broken, defeated, they held their gazes towards the floor. The weighted chains that restrained them dragged along at their feet. The sounds of the chains grinding against the cobblestone seemed almost deafening in the utter silence that plagued the setting. Coming to a stop, the Grandmasters were brought down, dead legged by the black jaguar, Raul. Bone tired, they knelt at the center of the barely illuminated room awaiting their fate.

Raul smirked down at them, dragging his razor sharp spear lightly across their backs. Hard enough to leave a mark, yet light enough to not draw blood.

"My lord, the Grandmasters have been delivered…As promised," he announced towards the darkness.

There were several seconds before any response was made. After a half a minute of silence, a deep cavernous voice projected throughout the room, making their skin crawl.

"Where's Shifu?"

Raul's former smirk faded significantly. He'd been hoping to avoid this topic of the conversation. Realizing that it'd been naïve to hope this detail would go unnoticed, the jaguar grew uncomfortable. Failure stood out like a sore thumb. His master was never keen on failure.

"Forgive me my lord…he escaped," he returned, bowing down to one knee in hope of mercy.

The voice took a little longer to respond than before. There was no response for a while. Raul had begun to work up a sweat at this. He need not forget the fate of the last subordinate who failed to meet the boss's expectations. In short, failure wasn't a well-accepted concept. After almost a minute of dreadful silence it answered, "That's…disappointing."

Throughout the conversation, the masters had been searching for the origin of the voice, but it was hopeless. It seemed to be coming from everywhere. Even Master Panther, a feline, couldn't decipher the origin of the voice with his heightened cat senses.

"Leave us Raul," the voice stated calmly.

Nodding frantically, the jaguar bowed before quickly exiting, happy to be given an excuse to avoid his master's wrath. As Raul slipped out the door, it closed heavily with a thud. This noise echoed throughout the dark room causing the shackled masters to wince in discomfort.

The voice arose again, this time coming from behind them, "I'd close my eyes if I were you."

Suddenly, several braziers lit behind the kneeling Grandmasters. Blinded by the sudden light, the masters snapped their heads to look behind them. No one was present. Confused, they turned back around to finally spot the owner of the voice. There he stood, in front of a dark wood war-table.

Tall, standing easily over six foot, the muscular figure had his back to them. He was wearing a menacing set of pitch black armor with golden lining and contours. All while he was examining a double bladed knife in the palm of his hand. Overall, he was a threatening figure.

"I know how defeat feels; I've suffered through it before," he began as he twirled the knife in his grasp.

"So desperate to succeed…but to fail, in spite everything," he lamented.

The masters looked sideways at each other in dread. It truly was **him**. He had survived somehow, and now…China was in grave danger. There was no Oogway to stop him this time.

Turning around, the figure removed his helmet revealing his face. He was revealed to be a handsome tiger that looked no later than his thirties—no doubt work of the elixir. When Daemon had gone rogue, it'd been nearly two decades ago. Master Gorilla, Hawk, Cobra, and Shifu had been entering their forties at the time, while Master Croc, Ox, and Panther had been newly recruited trainees in their early twenties. Now years later, they'd all exited their primes. However, now standing before them, Daemon looked as if he hadn't aged a day.

"Delay it as you may, hide from it as best as you can…Fate is all but inevitable," he rumbled resolutely, setting down his helmet onto the table. Slowly he strode away from it and towards the kneeling Grandmasters. The look upon his face not one of smugness or haughtiness, but a solemn one.

Now barely a meter away from them, he stood tall, clenching his fist.

"And through me…It will be delivered," he concluded with a stoic expression as he stared down at the masters below him.

Holding their hardened gazes toward their former friend, the grandmasters were silent. There was something eerily different about Daemon now. Years prior he'd been obsessed with becoming the superior warrior; becoming the best. On his quest to achieve that, he'd tried to thwart destiny. Fighting against a foretold future by the soothsayer— **the prophecy—** he'd hoped to change his fate. Now he seemed to endorse whatever fate may have in store for him…in store for them all.

Almost as if reading their minds, Daemon resounded, "Spending decades in Zoru-Sai has changed me for the better. My younger self simply didn't see the bigger picture."

Listening, the other masters were hesitant. Changed in what way? Even though Daemon had retained his physical youth, his mind had been given decades to age and mature.

"After all, being confined in a prison cell for nearly twenty years gave me time to reflect. I have finally come to an epiphany," he continued with a thoughtful look upon his face.

The kneeling masters frowned at this remark. Daemon's newfound air of composure was a considerable change from his previous persona. So used to his former snarky and arrogant approach, this change was unsettling to say the least.

"And what might that be?" Grandmaster Panther spat. Daemon turned his solemn stare towards the feline. There was no anger towards the grandmaster's response nor smugness. There was only the emptiness held in the tiger's faded yellow eyes.

"Fate knows better than anyone that life without meaning isn't life. It's just existence," he sighed.

Turning his back to them, the tiger ambled over to the lit brazier behind the grandmasters. Not willing to let Daemon out of their sight, they strained their necks against their collar restraints to follow his path. They narrowed their eyes in suspicion, looking for any ulterior motives. There were none.

Sighing, Daemon finally stepped within a meter of the roaring fire before stopping. In his hand he held the double bladed knife from earlier. Grasping the dagger, without hesitation, he plunged his hand into the brazier's inferno. Those watching him winced at this. Daemon didn't even blink.

"After so much thought…I've finally found **my** purpose," he continued while staring into the flames, seemingly unbothered by the scorching heat.

"Oh yeah? And what would that be?" Master Ox snorted in derision. Daemon was quiet for a moment. Nothing but the sounds of the crackling fire filled the room. The tiger finally broke the silence.

"To become the savior of China," he disclosed evenly. The grandmasters sat on the floor in utter bafflement. They blinked once…twice…three times. They would have laughed at this if Daemon hadn't turned his gaze away from the fire to face them. There were no traces of jesting along the tiger's face…he was dead serious. Was this some kind of sick joke?

"You're kidding?" Master Croc deadpanned.

Daemon met the reptile's gaze head on before shaking his head. Turning his attention back to the brazier, he grunted. Deciding that it'd been long enough, the tiger withdrew his hand from the fire. His entire forearm down was burned quite severely. The arm fur was completely burned away and his skin was blackened like charcoal. The smell of burnt flesh filled the air of the small chamber. Grimacing, the grandmasters couldn't tear their eyes away from the gruesome scene. In his hand, Daemon's knife was glowing—red hot. However, the most surprising thing was yet to come. Seconds later, the burnt skin began slowly mend itself back together. Seconds after that, fur began to regenerate at an extraordinary rate. The grandmasters looked on in shock as Daemon's arm repaired itself in under a minute.

With their attention on him, Daemon strode over to the left side of the room where a large map of China hung on the wall.

"China is on a downward spiral. Everyone knows it," he spoke somberly. The others looked at him in question. Before they could cut in he continued, "I recognized it years ago before I was sent to Zoru-Sai and it's only gotten astronomically worse since then."

"What do you mean Daemon?" Master Panther growled at the tiger. Daemon eyed him with pity. He never liked to be the bearer of bad news.

"What I mean is, in terms of national might we are falling behind. Other nations are advancing past us and if we don't take action. We will be overrun," Daemon emphasized slowly.

The others protested at this.

Ignoring them Daemon continued, "Due to the rise in population from immigrants and newborns, we are not only running out of resources but land. Our internal struggles are causing us to slow in our nation's progress, both industrially and militarily."

Frowning, the grandmasters were silent. They didn't like where this conversation was heading. Master Hawk finally spoke out, "The Emperor has said nothing of-" before being cut off.

"The Emperor doesn't have the resolve to do what needs to be done. He can't accept that the old ways aren't working anymore. We cannot rely on kung fu as we used to and we cannot continue to waste our resources on an ill-disciplined and ever-growing population," Daemon declared.

Turning to face the map of China, the tiger sighed tiredly. Grasping the small blade—still red hot— in his hand, he stated, "If we continued this self-destructive path…the nation will deteriorate and burn."

Subsequently, Daemon buried the knife into the center of the China map. The grandmasters watched silently as the map smoked before erupting in flames; burning from the inside out. The fire spread across the expansive map like a virus until practically nothing was left

"My solution is simple…once the Emperor is overthrown, I will be able to restore order and prosperity to China. One step at a time, brick by brick," Daemon finished as he watched the embers of the burnt remains of the map die down.

Dreadful looks emerged upon the grandmasters' faces. Daemon was dead serious. He wasn't as crazy as before…he was even crazier. His demeanor may have changed, but he was still insane. They were helpless to stop him. Oogway was gone. Every academy and kung fu palace across China had been decimated except one. The only people that could stop Daemon were Shifu and the Jade Palace warriors, and any other kung fu masters throughout China…assuming there were any left.

"The elixir has corrupted you mind Daemon. You will never succeed! You would have to eliminate all of kung fu and kill off millions to achieve your sick goal!" Master Cobra hissed at the tiger.

Daemon turned to face them and sighed. "If that's what it takes."

Horrified by his absolute resolve, the masters were speechless. Daemon would kill off nearly a third of the population to achieve his gruesome aspiration? That was…that was…evil.

"You are insane Daemon!" Master Ox bellowed at the former council member.

Daemon stood silently for almost a minute, staring at the floor, a look of contemplation across his face as he studied the cracks in the cobblestone.

"Maybe so…maybe…I am insane…but the future generations of China will rejoice my actions," he stated with a small smile upon his formerly stoic face.

Seconds after, the wooden doors were thrown open. Entering were half a dozen masked wolves armed with crossbows. As they filed in, they arranged themselves in a row, facing the kneeling grandmasters. Realizing their inevitable fate the elder masters attempted to rise to their feet. Already a step ahead of them, Daemon retrieved a small device from his person. A small remote, it had a simple dial on the front of it. Remorsefully, he cranked up the dial.

The formerly colorless steel collars around the grandmasters' necks began to glow a white hot hue.

The grandmasters halted their initial show of rebellion and sank to their knees once again, the collars seemingly paralyzing their movements as well as their breathing.

"W-what is this?" Master Hawk choked out, struggling to fill his lungs with the precious oxygen from the air.

Daemon eyed his former compatriot. A few seconds later, the tiger eased the dial off, and the collars' glow began to dim until they returned to looking like simple steel shackles.

"These are a new…invention by some of my experts. They restrict Chi flow throughout the body and mind. You needn't worry about it any further than that," he told them.

Looking down at them in pity, Daemon steeled himself, "I'm…sorry. I spared you once…I cannot afford to make the same mistake again."

Turning, the tiger grabbed his helmet off of the war-table. Covering his head once again, he looked towards his subordinates.

"Make their ends a quick one. I don't want to hear so much as a whimper," he ordered. Taking one last glance at his former friends he exited the room, but not before hearing one last comment from Master Gorilla—who'd been silent throughout the entire affair.

"You're right Daemon. Fate will arrive. And the prophecy will come to pass."

Daemon was stopped in his tracks by this remark. Looking back at the wisest of the grandmasters, the tiger nodded a farewell before turning an exiting the room, shutting the doors behind him. Daemon had come to terms with his eventual fate many years ago while still in Zoru-Sai Prison. In short, the prophecy declared that if he continued along his current path…he would meet his demise. If he must die to preserve China…then so be it. Daemon soon disappeared down the dark corridor.

Seconds later, the sound of crossbows firing in rapid succession cut through the silent atmosphere.

 ** _Thwap! Thwap! Thwap!_**

 ** _Thwap! Thwap! Thwap!_**

The sound of bodies dropping to the floor ensued…The Council of Masters was no more.

* * *

Daemon quietly entered the Council Room, massaging his temples tiredly. Raul was slouching back in one of the lounge chairs, twirling a dagger effortlessly in his hand. Noticing his master's distress, the jaguar voiced his inquiry.

"Is everything alright my lord?" he asked.

In answer, Daemon motioned for Raul to follow him. Turning away, the tiger strode over to the other side of the room with a nervous Raul in tow.

Stopping in front of a torch mounted on the stone wall, Daemon gripped the ornament firmly. Pulling down on it, the torch was revealed to be a lever. Cranking the torch lever, a passageway in the stone wall shifted open. Stepping inside the tiger continued on his path, Raul following closely.

 ** _Thud!_**

Raul almost jumped out of his skin. Looking behind him, he saw that the passageway had closed. The exit was gone and with it, the torch light. Even though he could see in the dark due to his feline senses, it didn't make the pitch black darkness any more comforting.

Eventually they arrived in a secret chamber that was lit by several torches and braziers. Raul looked around the area, taking it all in. He'd only been in this room once before. Inside the chamber was a sizable board hung on the east wall; filled with battle plans, schemes, and other valuable info that Daemon's scouts picked up across China.

Daemon was currently studying the board intently, scanning over the papers nailed to it.

"Mission Report Raul," his voice reverberating throughout the room.

Raul nodded before listing off, "The Council of Masters were captured and executed as you know. We have managed to capture and destroy the Sapphire and Topaz Palaces, as well as several of the rest…"

Daemon sighed in slight frustration, "Raul is there anything useful that you have for me? And don't bother about Shifu…that was just a minor setback."

Raul halted his speech before hesitating. After a moment of thought, he snapped his fingers in recollection.

"The pandas have left the Valley of Peace and returned to their former village according to some of our sources," he divulged hoping this would please his master.

Daemon's ears perked up at this piece of news. This was quite the development indeed. Walking over to the board he scanned several clippings of some Valley of Peace newspapers—collected by some of his spies in the valley. The illustrations from the paper depicted the pandas in question. Ironically, the Dragon Warrior was a panda according to his network of scouts. However, this did very little to deter Daemon from the fact that he was a warrior of great skill…and extreme threat. Most people would dismiss Po Ping because of his species and appearance. Not Daemon. The tiger had gone up against enough adversaries to realize the extreme danger of underestimating an opponent.

Daemon was brought out of his thoughts by Raul.

"Sir, if I may ask…why focus so much attention on the pandas? Surely they can't be that much of a threat?" Raul inquired.

Daemon shook his head at the shorter feline. Raul may have exceptional fighting skills, but his tactical mind was lacking severely. Turning to face his subordinate, Daemon began seriously, "Raul you don't see the bigger picture do you? These pandas are potentially the biggest threat we face."

Raul just stared blankly at his leader. Daemon sighed wearily at the jaguar's lack of intuition.

"These pandas, bar the Jade Palace Warriors, are the last beings alive that know how to utilize Chi. I was defeated by Chi last time…I cannot allow for it to happen again."

Raul nodded in better understanding than before. Scratching his head, the jaguar continued to press, "Why don't you just learn how to do Chi? Then you can defeat fire with fire?"

Daemon shook his head, "Unfortunately, Chi is 'the energy that flows through living things'. The Elixir of Immortals severed my soul's ties with both life and death. Therefore, the energy of the living can't flow through me. I can't harness Chi."

Raul frowned as he tried to comprehend what his master had just said. After his head gears had turned for over a minute, he came to understand his master's reasoning.

"So…you can't use Chi. Therefore…eliminate Chi from the equation," he presumed.

Daemon nodded, turning towards the board.

"It's time we commence the next phase of the plan," he announced, taking one last glance at his plans before heading over to the opposite side of the chamber where the weapons were stored.

Raul hurried after his boss, trying to keep pace with the tiger's longer strides. He was confused at this point. "Sir with all due respect, shouldn't we focus on ridding ourselves of the Jade Palace warriors and the Dragon Warrior first?"

Daemon was strapping a sword to his back as he listened to Raul's grievances. Adjusting his armor, the tiger looked down at his right-hand man, a small gleam in his otherwise dull yellow eyes.

"No worries Raul. I already have it taken care of."

* * *

 _The Valley of Peace_

Po's head was about to explode…well…maybe not literally, but it sure felt like it. Currently, the studious panda was seated on one of the lounge chairs in the Scroll room. He was just finishing up on scroll 1279 and thank the gods for that. His eyes dully scanned the faded black text along the length of the parchment. This scroll was a teaching of pressure points and how they affected the body and mind's functions. In comparison to some of the other topics Po had been studying, this was more interesting by far. Heck! The last dozen scrolls he'd been reading were about geographical features along the regions of the world…not a fun topic.

"So that's how Tai Lung did it," Po mumbled to himself, tracing his finger along the text.

As a kung fu master, Po had always wondered what technique the snow leopard had used to such a devastating effect against the Jade Palace warriors—more so the five than himself.

Scanning the final paragraph of the document, Po memorized the last of it before rolling the scroll up. Deciding a break was in order, he stood from the chair, his joints screamed in protest at this. Stretching his back, he eased out some stiffness that had settled in for hunching in the chair for too long.

It'd been several days since the incident with Tigress. They hadn't spoken much of it, and Po had been focusing his time on reading scrolls, in an effort to draw his mind away from those thoughts. And it was quite a successful tactic, studying the documents had taken his attention away from any stray thoughts.

After storing away the scrolls that he'd finished reading, Po blew out the candle. The light faded out, leaving the chamber pitch black, aside from the faint rays of the dimmed moonlight making its way through the windows up above. Taking care not to bump into anything, Po tiptoed around the dozens of shelves and furniture before exiting the room.

Yawning, Po took a quick glance up at the reflective powdery white orb in the speckled night sky; he judged it was about 9 PM at night if not later than that. It was relatively quiet, nothing but the sound of tree branches and long grass fluttering in the wind. Deciding that it would be best to go to bed, Po began to make his way towards the barracks. However, he halted himself as his ears perked up at the sound of voices. They seemed to be coming from the kitchen area. Turning back around, the panda strode down the stone path. Minutes later the kitchen was in sight. Sure enough, the torches were lit and the sounds of the Five and Saber were originating from the dining area.

Entering the kitchen, it took Po a split second to realize the others were planning on going out. All of them were dressed in extravagant attire, no doubt the expenses covered by Saber. The aforementioned tiger stood talking with the group holding some sort of tickets in his hand. Monkey wore a black and yellow tunic embroidered with silver lining; the cloth seemingly suited the ape quite perfectly. Mantis was wearing a similar outfit, but the color scheming being black and green, as well as fit down to the bug's size. Next was Viper, who was dressed in a ruby red top. The texture of the red vest was mesmerizing, matching her scales they seemed to reflect the torch light. On the back of the vest there were several Chinese symbols sown into the fabric, completing the attire's look. To her left was Crane, who wore a dark brown tunic with golden designs sown into it as well, along with a new hat. Similar to his former straw one, but dyed black in color with a metal rim and made of higher quality material. Saber himself, who stood central to the group, wore a black and silver long sleeve tunic as well as a pair of black silk slacks. Begrudgingly, Po also noticed that the suit seemed to show off his athletic physique. Finally, at the back of the group stood Tigress wearing a…a dress? Po's eyes widened. Yep, Master Tigress was definitely wearing a dress. Quite a simple design, it was strapless and went down to right above her knees. Deep violet in color, it appeared to be made out of a combination of silk and cotton. It was somewhat formfitting, though not nearly as much as Saber's attire. Po assumed she must've been wearing her wraps again, judging from the lack of presence on her torso. It wasn't the most elegant of outfits but the like most everything, Master Tigress pulled it off gracefully and quite effortlessly. But judging from her irked look as she eyed the garb disapprovingly, Tigress didn't feel the same way. Po concluded that the garment choice hadn't been hers; it'd most likely been Viper or Saber's.

"Going somewhere guys?" Po asked, although it was more of a statement than a question.

Naturally Mantis was the first to respond.

"What gave it away the fancy tunics or the nightclub tickets?" he responded with heavy sarcasm that was second nature to the bug. Lots of people may have taken offense to the insect's snark, but after living with the sassy master for so long, Po had grown rather accustomed to it.

Not missing a beat, the bear raised his eyebrow with a slight grin.

"Actually, it was Tigress wearing a purple dress."

The group let out a slight chuckle at this comment, bar Tigress who just huffed, albeit good-naturedly.

Saber put his hand around the back of Po, leading him out the door, the others in tow.

"Yeah man, come down to the party with us," he enthused. The others nodded enthusiastically, not having spent much time with Po in the past week due to Saber's arrival.

Po hesitated at this, "Well… I'm not sure if that's a good-".

He was cut off by the others.

"Come on big fella."

"Yeah, it's good to let loose now and again."  
"Don't be a spoilsport."

Po sighed in resignation. He'd really hoped to get a good night's sleep. However, with the Five and Saber's pressuring that looked like a far-fetched hope now.

"Alright, alright…I'll go."

The others grinned at this.

"Let's head out then," Saber laughed.

* * *

"Here we are!" the white tiger announced.

Po, who'd been day dreaming, focused his attention on the building they'd arrived at. He recognized it to be one of the places he'd seen the other day when he went shopping.

 **'Nicole's Night Club! Looks like we were always gonna end up here at some point!'** Red chuckled.

Po shook his head. Turning his attention back to reality, Po saw Saber chatting with the two bodyguards outside the front door to the club. The two guards were roughly the same size as Po, both being oxen. Judging on the dull looks that adorned their faces, they seemed to be the archetypical brawn over brain simpletons; assuming that the two actually had a brain. Safe to say, neither of the two looked to be on the bright side.

After handing over the tickets to guards, Saber motioned for them to follow him inside. Parting, the guards allowed Saber and the Five to slide through the doors. Po stepped forward; about to do the same before the two guards stepped in front of the door once again, blocking his path. Po restrained himself from frowning.

"I'm with them… so could you let me through?" he asked as politely as he could. Eyeing the panda, the ox guards internally rolled their eyes. Not familiar with the famed figure before them, all they saw was a somewhat stout panda in low quality patched shorts.

Almost as if they didn't hear him, one of the guards stated, "Ticket."

 **'This guy's funny…either that or really stupid,'** Red mused.

Po tuned Red out, trying to decipher what the ox had just said. His voice had such a heavy foreign accent that Po barely understood him.

"Excuse me?" the bear questioned.

The other guard didn't seem to like that. Stepping forward, he shoved Po back forcibly, sending the panda backpedaling in order to maintain his balance.

"No ticket. No club. Street scum," the bull spat.

Po frowned now. Managing to keep his cool, he took a deep breath. Red on the other hand, didn't manage to keep his cool…unsurprisingly.

 **'We have a ticket alright! A one way ticket to the grave if you touch us again you sack of shi-'** Po hushed the voice. Realizing that he should have probably changed into his nicer attire—the jade green vest and black slacks—that his dad had given him, he looked down at his patched shorts. Yep, those probably weren't giving off the right impression, especially when trying to get into a fancy nightclub.

Normally, respect was always an absolute given when Po encountered new people. These guards obviously didn't realize who he was. It was times like these where the panda wished his reputation preceded him as greatly as before the valley's expansion. Po was about to respond before a new voice beat him to it.

"What are you two buffoons doing?"

All three of them swiftly jerked their heads to see a seething snow leopardess. Stamping over, she gripped the two bulls and bashed their heads together in a surprising show of strength despite her small frame. Tumbling onto the ground, the bulls groaned in pain.

Whirling around, she then turned her attention to the Dragon Warrior and walked towards him. Po held his hands up in a gesture of peace. This brought a quirk to the leopardess's lip.

"Dragon Warrior, I humbly apologize for those two nitwits over there. My name's Nicole," she offered with a smile.

"Don't worry about it. Thanks for the save," Po responded, flashing a smile back. On the outside he seemed as cool as ice. On the inside however, Po allowed himself several victorious fist pumps. He had successfully responded to an attractive girl without looking like a complete fool.

 **'Go ahead and give yourself a pat on the back for that one,'** Red said in mock congratulation.

Po waved him off, even Red's negative connotation couldn't deflate him at the moment. Smirking at the panda, Nicole took his arm and escorted him towards the doors. Giving one last venomous glance towards her subordinates, she morphed her expression into a calm smile towards Po before they entered the club.

* * *

Crazy, loud, packed, were just a few ways to describe the current setting of the night club. This place was crammed to the roof. It seemed as if the entire valley had decided to come out tonight. The club was swarming with members of all species, partying like…well…animals.

You were barely able to hear yourself think, much less speak. No matter how obnoxious, this didn't take away from the fact that Nicole's Night Club was by far the most entertainment packed residence in the entire valley. From the designated lounge area to the indoor swimming pool, this place had it all. It seemed everyone came here for some purpose. Members could be seen drowning their sorrows in a variety of alcohol choices at the bar. Others were relaxing in the spa area, easing there pain in a more…conservative manner. Many members, both drunk and sober were partying on the dance floor—the blaring music transmitting from the musicians on stage driving them on. Some danced in a more conventional method, like a partner dance. Others…were less conventional.

Saber and the Five were currently slipping through the dance floor towards the lounge area. As they maneuvered their way through the crowds Tigress caught sight of a girl wolf…grinding against her partner behind her. Face burning, the female master focused her gaze away from the obscene sight. Saber, who'd looked back to check up on the female tiger, saw this. A grin spreading across his face, he chuckled.

"You better get used to that Ti. People in nightclubs are quite outgoing…if you know what I mean."

Tigress just mumbled something back that was inaudible due to the ruckus from the crowds around them.

Eventually, the group managed to find a seat in the lounge area. Finally sitting down in their booth, Saber ordered some drinks as he and the Five chatted. Their conversation like many other times was filled with stories from Saber's adventures, thrilling tales of the Five and what not. After almost half an hour into their conversation, they finally noticed something amiss. It was Viper who pointed the glaring fact out.

"Hey…where's Po?" she questioned after checking her surroundings for the large bear. Raising an eyebrow, Saber did a full 360 around in his seat looking for their friend. After coming up empty, he just shrugged his shoulders. The others checked around as well. Their search ended in the same result.

"Here are your drinks."

The Five and Saber turned back around to see a scantily dressed red fox with a tray of drinks in her hand. The waitress was wearing as minimal wear as possible, looking as if she'd come from the pool area in a virtual bikini.

Thanking her, Saber grabbed the tray before handing over a few yuan as a tip. Bowing her head slightly, the fox slipped the coins into a pouch hung by her side before leaving.

Handing out tall glasses of the yellow-orange drink, Saber set them down in front of the others. Then taking a sip out of his glass, he hummed in satisfaction.

Skeptical, the five all picked up their glasses in a weary manner. It looked similar to orange juice…but they knew for a fact that it wasn't. None of them daring to try the strange concoction, they silently watched as Saber consumed almost all of his.

After downing the rest of it, Saber let out a belch. Looking at the rest of the group he saw that they hadn't touched theirs.

"What are you waiting for? Down the hatch," he joked.

Tigress lifted the glass up to her snout, taking a whiff of the liquid. It was seemingly a combination of sour, sweet, and bitter.

"What is this?" she finally questioned.

Saber raised an eyebrow at her. Had they never had a drink before? Shrugging, the white tiger concluded that the kung fu masters probably were taught to refrain from alcoholic drinks. Then again, letting loose every once in a while never hurt anyone.

"It's Mai Tai. Polynesian drink," he answered before his ears caught the sound of footsteps. Turning around, he spotted a waitress carrying a tray of drinks on her shoulder, passing the booth. Deftly, he reached out and removed one of the drinks off the tray without the passing waitress realizing. It was in a fancy glass with a skinny neck and a lemon slice on the side. Unlike the Mai Tai, the misty yellow liquid was translucent.

"And this is Daiquiri," he laughed taking a small sip, savoring the potion.

Watching him drink yet another cocktail, the five looked at each other before shrugging. And they all took a long swig of their drinks. It wasn't nearly as bad as what they had expected…in fact it was quite good…addictingly good.

Finishing their drinks faster than Saber had his, they set the glasses down onto the table. His jaw dropping, a smile began to form on the white tiger's face. That was…unexpected.

"Well look at that. You guys are naturals," he laughed.

Feeling rather smug, the five smirked back. Saber shook his head in a rueful manner. There was a silence for several seconds before a flood of comments flew from the five.

"I like this stuff!"

"More please!"

"It's quite satisfactory."

"Definitely a welcome addition."

"I need more of this stuff in my body!"

Saber laughed heartily at this. Summoning a waitress, Saber ordered several more rounds for everyone. As they waited, the Five's thoughts went back to a missing panda.

"Wait…shouldn't we go look for Po or something?" Monkey realized, his thought process a bit fuzzy for some reason. The others tilted their heads to the side as if deep in thought. Po was missing but he would be fine…right?

Saber waved them off.

"I'm sure the big guy's fine."

Then thinking a moment he laughed.

"He's probably gone to find himself some female companionship," he added with a grin.

The Five all laughed at his comment, whether it had been the absurdity of the statement or the image of Po being surrounded by females, they weren't sure themselves.

Tigress however, frowned at this statement. Her mind was rather fuzzy for some reason and she didn't know why Saber's comment had upset her…maybe it was because she didn't like people touching her property?

* * *

Po and Nicole were walking towards the VIP section of the nightclub. Feeling rather guilty of the treatment that had been bestowed upon the three time savior of China, Nicole—being the owner of the club— had presented him with a life-time VIP pass. The pass was a golden colored steel card. Imprinted on it was:

 **Nicole's NightClub**

 **VIP PASS**

 ***Life-time***

 **Name: Po Ping**

 **Species: Panda  
Serial #: 391G74JOW84PE0362M58B**

 **Membership: Platinum member**

 **Access: Complete**

 **Restrictions: None**

It was quite amazing how Nicole had managed to get him such a customized membership card on such short notice. At first, Po had tried to turn down the extremely gracious offer, but the snow leopardess had insisted…quiet forcefully if he may add. She had told him he'd either accept the pass willingly or he would accept it unwillingly. And after the stunt that she'd pulled with the two oxen guards, Po didn't feel like pushing his already non-existent luck.

"So how long have you been in the Valley of Peace, Ms…" Po hesitated, not sure what to call the feline.

Opening the double doors to the VIP only lounge area, the leopardess smirked at the black and white warrior.

"Just Nicole is fine."

Po nodded neutrally, not wanting to offend her.

Eventually, Nicole sat him down in one of the lounge chairs by a fireplace. The crackling of the fire was a much more soothing sound than the blaring music that had been torturing the bear's eardrums moments earlier. After entering the VIP Lounge the external noise had disappeared; most likely due to the sound proofed walls inside the lounge. Deep in thought, Po almost missed the feline's next comment.

"And to answer your earlier question, I've been in the valley for nearly a year now. The nightclub wasn't opened until a few months ago however," she divulged, heading over to a small personal bar in the corner of the room.

Po watched her actions with relative interest as Nicole got to work. Her hands were a blur as she rearranged and added different liquids and juices to her concoction. A few minutes later she had a lime yellow drink prepared for herself. Looking over to Po, she motioned to the drink.

"Want one big guy?"

Po snapped out of his reverie before firmly shaking his head. He'd seen plenty of times what alcohol could do to people. It could turn the nicest into the meanest, the calmest into the craziest. But most importantly, someone special to him had promised him to never drink. And he would never break that promise. Not from her.

He'd been a lonely, depressed, fifteen year old.

 ** _*Flashback (8 years ago)*_**

 _The dull autumn wind whipped through the trees as the auburn and red leaves floated down to the already covered ground. Heavy footsteps grew louder as a young panda came into view. In his mid teens, the bear had his eyes downcast as he trudged along the dirt path back to his home at Mr. Ping's. Constant crunching from the crushed leaves underfoot did little to disturb the distracted panda. No, his thoughts were far away from reality, going over his day._

 _It'd been a long miserable day for Po…albeit most days were. Today's only saving grace was that it was a Friday. So he could sleep in tomorrow. He was trudging home from school, VOPHS (Valley of Peace High school). Hunched over, Po continued his journey until his back pack gave out. Spilling out multiple books and school papers, the bear cursed. Just another day in the life of Po Ping. Fortunately, the breeze had died down almost in pity of his misfortune, allowing the bear to recollect his belongings. Forcefully stuffing them back into his bag, he stood— his mood worse off than before._

 _"What a wonderful world," he muttered with a roll of his eyes._

 _Half an hour later, he had managed to make it back home—Mr. Ping's Noodle Shop. It wasn't the most luxurious household…or the most sanitary…but it was home. Stepping up to the concrete gate with wooden double doors, a large sign that said CLOSED, hung upon it. After the fiasco of Po poisoning Shifu, the goose—albeit reluctantly, due to his frugal nature—thought it would be best if the panda wasn't left to run the shop when he was out of town. **(A/N: See Kung Fu Panda: Secrets of the Scroll)** _

_Retrieving a pair of keys out of his patched shorts, Po unlocked the doors which concealed the shop from the prying eyes of anyone on the street. Entering, he shut the doors behind him before making his way through the dining patio outside the shop._

 _Finally, Po swung open the shop's door and entered…subsequently hitting his head on the doorway._

 ** _Thunk!_**

 _"Ow!" the bear yelped in pain, gripping his now throbbing head. This day kept getting better and better. He could only hope that there would be no lasting damage for every time he banged his head on that thing._

 _Treading up the stairs, Po squeezed through the hall into his room. Dropping his backpack onto the floor, the bear then proceeded to collapse on his bed. Closing his eyes he tried his best to forget the negative parts of his day. This almost succeeded until several small creeks emerged from the bed. Seconds later, the bed's legs gave out and it crashed down onto the floor, Po along with it._

 _Po then buried his face into his pillow and screamed in frustration. He didn't worry about his dad walking in and finding his emotional unstable, outcast of a son, because his father was away on a business trip…therefore he could scream and rant to himself to his heart's content._

 _He would go on to spend the rest of the day laying like a zombie on his bed, talking to his action figures, and tossing his ninja star at the wall._

 _Hours later, there was a loud knock at the gate doors of the shop, waking the bear from his nap. Groggily, the bear stumbled out of bed and down the stairs, nearly collapsing on his way down. Exiting the interior of the shop, he thumped over to the gate double doors. He honestly didn't see the purpose in them. If someone really wanted to break in and rob the place, these two doors which resembled the strength of cardboard wouldn't do the trick. Like many things that made up the shop, they needed to be replaced with something more functional. Grumbling about his complaints, Po finally made it to the gate, and threw open the doors without even looking to see who it was._

 _"I'm sorry we're closed for the rest of the week. Please come back another ti-" he cut off his speech as his eyes focused in on who it was. His jaw nearly dropped when he saw that it was a girl from his school, not just any girl, but Ms. 'Popular' herself._

 _A tan ocelot named Kenli, she was quite the catch. Having an attractive figure, face, and bubbly personality, she was a common fantasy of most of the guys at the school; him included._

 _"Oh, Kenli…I didn't uh…see you there. Do…do you need something?" Po managed to spit out._

 _The ocelot's unique magenta eyes glinted in amusement at the bear as he stumbled over his words. She just handed him a colored paper card. He took it automatically, not even knowing what it was. Staring down at it, there were several texts printed onto the piece of paper. Most notably was a time stamp and address._

 _"Well Po, I'm just letting you know that I'm holding a party at my house and I'm just inviting some people from school," she said in a cheerful tone._

 _Po refrained himself from raising an eyebrow. **She** was inviting **him** to a party? His skepticism wasn't unwarranted since he was a known outcast and target for bullying. He knew this, she knew this, and the entire school **definitely** knew this. Why in the hell would she (very popular) want him (not so very popular) at her party._

 _As if almost reading his mind, Kenli put up her hands in a gesture of peace._

 _"I know you're not much of a party guy. But I just wanted to let you know that I'd love it if you came," she finished with her beaming white smile. Po nodded, squinting, as her pearly whites were quite literally blinding him. Kenli then turned and walked off with a noticeable spring to her step._

 _Po took a glance down at the card as he closed the gate doors. Reading the card over, he entered the kitchen doorway, instinctively ducking in order to refrain from concussing himself once more. He came to a decision._

 _"Nah!" he uttered, setting the card down onto kitchen counter before heading up the steps. Entering his room, he shut the door behind him. The residence was once again quiet, not a single sound. It seemed as if Po had gone back to bed. Several minutes later…_

 _"Dag Nab it!" Po grumbled from inside his room. Moments later he was thumping down the stairs and into the kitchen. Grumbling to himself, he snatched the house keys and invitation card off the counter and left for Kenli's party._

* * *

 _Evening light is the most beautiful scenery you could find. Currently, the orange and pink shades of light were plastered across the sky as a result of the setting sun. Within an hour, the moon would replace it, as the night replaced the day. Po had always loved to admire nature, due to the calming effect it had. Strange as it sounded, it soothed him. And after all the stress he'd been going through in school and his life, soothing was something he couldn't get enough of._

 _Drawing his attention away from the sky, the panda caught sight of Kenli's house. Finally arriving at the ocelot's residence, Po went wide eyed. He knew that her folks had been wealthy…but this was ludicrous. He stood in front of her virtual mansion in absolute awe. It must have been three stories high. The house was built from high quality polished marble and stone. Surrounded by a stone wall fence, the only entrance was a steel bar gate with two hulking gorilla bodyguards. Stepping up to them they were even taller up close. They practically towered over the teenage panda. Turning their attention to the newcomer, they gave the panda a look of interest; similar to the look an elephant would give a cockroach before squashing it. Gulping, Po shakily handed them the invitation. Taking the paper, the guards examined it and eyed each other before handing it back to the panda. They did nothing for a moment and Po began to wonder if coming had been a bad idea. Finally, after a few moments of silence one of the guards rumbled, "Would you like to go in?" almost as a warning. Po, even more confused than before just nodded feebly. The guards shrugged at each other before opening the gates. They then stepped aside and let Po through._

 _Mumbling a 'thanks', Po entered through the gate and left towards the house. As he left their sight, the gorillas huffed. They felt bad for the kid. They'd overheard what the other kids were planning to do to him…it wasn't pretty. They didn't say a word about though; it wasn't their place to interfere others affairs. They were just the guards, they had no business with the other party members._

 _"Kid should have stayed home," the one on the left grumbled._

 _"Yep," the other huffed._

* * *

 _Po had finally managed to reach the front door of the towering establishment. Stepping up to the solid oak structure he hesitated, before knocking. Moments later, the door swung open revealing the beaming face of Kenli herself. Seeing who it was, her impossibly wide smile grew even larger—if that was possible._

 _"Oh Po! I'm so glad you could make it!" the ocelot beamed, throwing herself around the panda for a hug. Po, normally unused to this type of affection, especially from an attractive girl, awkwardly accepted the embrace. He tried not to blush as he felt the ocelot's bosom press uncomfortably close up against him._

 _Separating from the hug, Kenli then grabbed his hand and drug the panda inside._

 _As they walked through the halls, Po admired all the luxurious artworks and trinkets that adorned the interior of the house._

 _"Nice place you got here," he said, trying to attempt small talk, albeit it wasn't his strong suit. Kenli mumbled a 'thanks' modestly. As they neared the living room, Kenli changed the subject, "The others are already here. You should know them, they're from our school," she enthused._

 _Po nodded, however on the inside he was rather reluctant._

 _"There aren't many rules, except one…no drinking period," she affirmed rather seriously._

 _Po had no problem with that; he hadn't planned on it anyways. However, curiosity got the better of him, "Why?"_

 _Looking over to him the ocelot stated rather sharply, "Because my father was an abusive drunk and I despise the stuff."_

 _Po's eyes widened as he stopped in his tracks, this caused Kenli to halt as well, "You really hate the stuff?"_

 _She nodded, "I wish everyone would stop it. It can turn the nicest into the meanest…the calmest into the craziest…like my father," her ears drooped a little at this._

 _For someone he knew so little about, Po couldn't help but want to comfort her. Seeing the normally jubilant ocelot like this made him feel almost guilty._

 _"Hey, if it makes you feel any better…I promise to never drink," Po offered tentatively while holding up his hand, almost as if to seal the vow._

 _Perking her ears up at this Kenli tilted her head with a smile, "Really?"_

 _"Really. Really," Po responded with a small grin. Kenli returned it, before shaking his hand in the deal._

 _"You better not break it," Kenli warned with a strict smile._

 _Po smiled back…he didn't intend to._

 _As the duo entered the room, they were met with the attention of several party members who were lounging on the sofa._

 _"Hey guys, you know Po right?" the ocelot announced gesturing towards the panda._

 _In response, most of the party members grunted before resuming their own conversations. Kenli turned back to the bear with a grin on her face, "See, it's a friendly environment."_

 _Po bit his lip and strained against the urge to roll his eyes. Friendly indeed._

 _Patting him on the back, Kenli then walked over to one of the desks in the room and picked up a set of keys and a purse. Gaining everyone's attention, the ocelot said, "Alright guys, I'm going down to Mr. Lee's Deli to pick up the food. I'll be back in fifteen." Spinning around, she headed towards the exit._

 _Before leaving, she stopped by Po's side, leaning in she whispered, "Go and socialize big guy. I'll be back with the food in a bit."_

 _Kenli then disappeared down the hallway. Moments later, the recognizable sound of the door shutting echoed throughout the house._

 _Following the door shut, Po noticed how quiet the room had become. Slowly turning around, he was met with a dozen or so sinister glares from the other school mates. Their formerly neutral expressions had morphed into ones of malice. Shifting from one foot to the other, Po stood awkwardly as the glares from the others began to harshen._

 _"Is something uh…wrong guys?" Po managed, trying to talk his way out of trouble._

 _The group of school members had now risen to their feet, and was striding over to the lone panda. Gulping anxiously, Po twiddled his thumbs as he was now surrounded by those in the 'friendly environment' as Kenli had so eloquently put it. Stepping up to him, a teenage leopard, Jonah, came within inches of his face. Jonah wasn't very fond of Po, well…most of the kids at the school didn't like him, but Jonah especially didn't. Rather intimidated, Po attempted to shrink back. However, the others behind prevented him from doing so._

 _"What are you doing here blubber boy?" Jonah taunted, sneering at the shorter panda._

 _Po deciding against taking the bait just mumbled, "Uh…Kenli invited me."_

 _Everyone in the encirclement laughed at this. Po just stared at his feet, hoping this would end soon. It was stupid of him to have come here. Every one of his instincts screamed not to accept the ocelot's party invitation. Like the horrible optimist he was, he'd dared to hope this time would be any different. Foolish._

 _After the laughter had died down, Jonah continued, "And you actually accepted? I already knew you were stupid, I didn't know you had a death wish as well."_

 _Po didn't respond, he just quietly stared and the floor as if wishing he could just disappear. Not liking the lack of attention he was getting from the panda, Jonah threw a heavy uppercut into Po's stomach, winding him and bringing him to his knees._

 _"Didn't your whore of a mother teach you any manners? Listen when your superior is talking to you, you worthless sack of lard!" the leopard growled at the bear kneeling on the ground._

 _Po, trying to regain his feet, suppressed his anger, "I don't have a Mom, Jonah."_

 _Letting out a laugh, the leopard continued to taunt him, "Of course, she probably ran off after she saw what an ugly insignificant piece of garbage she conceived. I don't blame her though, if it were down to me, I would have thrown you in the trash instead of a radish basket."_

 _Po was silent as he stared dully back at Jonah. The leopard scanned the bear's face, hoping for some reaction, there was none._

 _Throwing his hands up in the air Jonah grunted, "Why do I even bother! You're completely brain dead. It's a wonder why that dumb bitch Kenli invited you here in the first place. Then again, she's just as defective as you are."_

 _Po was livid now. Kenli was the only person in the valley who was even remotely nice to him, albeit they didn't talk much. But every time they had talked, she'd been nothing but pleasant. Ignoring his survival instincts, he stepped forward, "Hey! Don't talk about her like that you jerk—oof!"_

 _He was cut off by a powerful hook to the jaw, followed by an upwards kick to his groin by Jonah. Collapsing from pain, Po groaned in agony._

 _"I'll do whatever I feel like, got it fatty? Y'know, I was gonna let you off easy, but now? I'm gonna teach you some manners," the leopard sneered at the panda before unleashing a hellish kick to Po's gut._

 _"Please…stop," Po pleaded with a whimper before Jonah let loose another kick. His pleas only drove the leopard to increase the force behind his kicks. A wicked smile adorned Jonah's face as he continued to kick the downed panda again…and again…and again._

 _Soon, the other surrounding party members joined in, as the circle enclosed around the panda, attacking him from all sides. Nothing but the sounds of laughter, kicking, and pained grunting could be heard throughout the formerly quiet room. After several minutes the group began to slow their efforts and they withdrew from the almost motionless panda. However, Jonah continued to viciously kick the battered panda for half a minute longer. Finally halting his brutal assault, the feline crouched down, coming face to face with Po, who was bruised and battered to the point of near unconsciousness._

 _"Lesson learned, aye?" Jonah chuckled coldly._

 _Po lay their still for a moment, before his body began shaking as he was wracked with sobs. Tears streamed down the panda's bloodied face as he violently shook in suffering._

 ** _Clatter!_**

 _"OH MY GOD!"_

 _Everyone snapped their necks to see the face of a horrified Kenli standing in the doorway, the bag of food dropped all over the floor. Fixing her gaze on the horribly beaten panda, she then shifted it to the group. Her face's expression morphed into a look of fury._

 _"What did you do!" she screamed as her face grew red with anger._

 _Stepping forward, Jonah tried to play it cool, "The loser needed to be put in his place. Not my fault—" he was promptly cut off by Kenli as she socked the pompous leopard in the face. Grunting in pain, the school bully stumbled back. Holding his nose that was gushing with blood, it was definitely broken._

 _Turning to him and the others, "Get out of my house before I call the guards!" she bellowed at them._

 _Not needing any further invitation, the group of party goers and Jonah all speedily exited the residence. After the door shut, Kenli rushed over to the injured panda. Kneeling down she helped him sit up. Po feebly attempted to hide his tears, but the ocelot simply batted his hands away and wiped them away herself._

 _"Po…I am so sorry," she apologized, her voice catching in her throat._

 _Po, who had regained some of his self-control just waved her off._

 _"Ibs fine," he uttered through his swollen jaw._

 _Tears now in her own eyes, Kenli shook her head furiously. Standing up, she zipped out of the room before returning with a medical kit. Opening it up, she retrieved some alcohol pads._

 _"It is **not** fine. You look terrible…no offense," she asserted, her face morphed into a look of concentration as she padded away the blood that had somewhat dried on his face._

 _"Why did they attack you?" Kenli asked in concern as she continued to clean his wounds._

 _Po just shrugged, not wanting her to feel guiltier than she already was. Seeing through his guise almost immediately, the ocelot wiped one of his cuts a little more forcefully than the previous ones. Po winced as he made eye contact with her. She was giving him a 'tell me or else' look. For someone so sweet, Kenli could be absolutely stone-hearted when she wanted to._

 _"Jonah, wab cawing yu a dum bidch," Po tried his best to enunciate._

 _Kenli shook her head at this. Reaching in the medical bag, she brought out an herbal paste. Spreading it out on the tips of her fingers she lathered the substance along Po's jaw and mouth._

 _"This should stop the swelling," she informed._

 _Minutes later, Po massaged his jaw as the substance worked its magic. His gaze was fixed on the floor below. "That's a lot better…thanks."_

 _Grabbing Po by his shoulders, Kenli forced him to look at her, tears brimming in her eyes._

 _"You went through all that…because of me? Why?" she mumbled. Being a popular kid at the school, she'd always had friends. But that was always because of her status and her wealthy family. True friendship was hard to come by. And it'd been gifted to her in the form of Po Ping. Po Ping, the outcast that no one liked. Po Ping, the anti-social quiet kid at the back of the classroom. Po Ping had defended her…only to suffer for it._

 _Po just shrugged, "You're the only one who's ever been even remotely nice to me. It's not fair that people should judge you for that."_

 _Kenli just choked out a half-laugh, half-sob before gripping the panda's paw. Looking into his jade eyes, she internally vowed that as long as she lived no harm would ever befall him ever again. He needed a friend…And she needed a real friend._

 _"Po I promise you that as long as I can help it…I'll never let anyone harm you again?" Kenli mumbled._

 _The panda met the ocelot's gaze, her magenta eyes seemingly hypnotizing him._

 _"Sounds good to me," he offered with a smile. She smiled back._

 _And that was the start of a beautiful friendship._

 ** _*time skip (3 years later)*_**

 _"You should tell her y'know."_

 _"Hmmm?"_

 _"The tiger girl, you should tell her that you like her."_

 _…What?_

 _Po did a double take as he choked on his drink. Unfortunately, the water had gone done the wrong pipe and was now exiting out of the panda's nostrils in quite the spectacle. People in the other booths of the restaurant looked at the panda with distaste. A nearby waiter came over to clean up the mess. After wiping down the table, he then refilled Po's water before leaving._

 _Po muttered a 'thanks' while glaring at the cursed ocelot that loved to push his buttons. Kenli managed a smile giggle, albeit cleverly hiding it with her menu._

 _Currently, the two best friends were sitting at a diner. Today was the official introduction of the Furious Five. After being bestowed their title of 'master' by Oogway himself, they had performed a demonstration to the valley. It also so happened that the stage area of demonstration was only a hundred or so feet away from where Po and Kenli were seated; a perfect view._

 _"I don't know what you're talking about," Po finally answered, his gaze which had been fixed on the Furious Five's performance shifting to meet Kenli's magentas._

 _"Riiiiiight," she drawled trying to suppress the urge to giggle again. Po tried to ignore her before she began talking again._

 _"I mean, I can't blame you. Good body, pretty, famous, a real femme fatale," she continued innocently taking a sip of her water. Po narrowed his eyes at the ocelot. This was excessive…even by Kenli's ridiculous standards. Was she implying something? Or was she just trying to irk him. Po was frustrated at this…girls were so hard to read._

 _"What are you getting at?" he asked as levelly as he could._

 _Kenli managed a smirk this time. Coolly, she scanned her menu as she took yet another sip of her water._

 _"Nothing…nothing. I just couldn't help but notice you staring at Ms. Kung Fu over there," she replied before shutting her menu and setting it down._

 _Po huffed, crossing his arms. "I wasn't staring…I was just uh…watching the Five's performance is all."_

 _Kenli, unable to refrain herself, let out a small choked laugh before masterfully disguising it with a cough. Po was now getting extremely irritated by the ocelot's games._

 _"Kenli…" he warned._

 _"Po…" she returned with a delighted smile._

 _Grunting, Po buried his face into his hands. Kenli giggled._

 _Having enough of this, Po rose to his feet, making his way towards the restaurant's exit. Kenli rose after him. Pushing her chair in, she called out humorously, "Po where are you going? We haven't even eaten yet!"_

 _Taking a step forward, Kenli suddenly realized something was off. Leaning forward the ocelot vomited up a mix of food and blood all over the floor. Her vision became blurry, as the world faded in and out. Her legs began to tremble as she struggled to remain upright._

 _"Po…po…help," was all that she could manage. Po, who'd been faced the other way, instantly recognized the distress in Kenli's voice. Spinning around, he spotted her as she clung to the side of their table trying her best to remain upright. Not a second later, Po had rushed over and caught the feline before she collapsed. His mind in absolute turmoil, Po was panicking as he took Kenli up in his arms._

 _"I'm sorry…I'm sorry," she mumbled towards the bear._

 _Shaking his head furiously at her statement, he returned back in an alarmed voice, "No, no, no. What?"_

 _Turning around, he saw that everyone in the restaurant had risen and were now staring at the duo. Looking at them angrily Po yelled, "What are you staring at? Somebody get a doctor!"_

* * *

 _Po was hunched over as he sat in the waiting room of the doctor's office. His bulky figure dwarfed the substantially smaller chair he was seated in. Kenli had been in testing for almost four hours now. It was near midnight. Usually, he'd be bone tired by nine. But the existing situation kept his nerves on edge; he couldn't sleep…not while Kenli was in her current condition._

 _The sound of the office door drew his attention from his worried thoughts. Looking up, he saw the neutral face of the gazelle doctor. Standing up, he strode over to him._

 _"How is she?" he asked worriedly._

 _Massaging his temples, the doctor sighed, "That's something she must tell you…"_

 _The gazelle's answer only spurred his anxiety. Po pushed past the doctor and into the nursing room. Entering the dark room, he saw the dim outline of Kenli lying in bed, staring out the window at the moon._

 _Striding over, Po knelt by her beside and took her hand in his, squeezing it for reassurance. Kenli didn't verbally respond for several minutes, instead just admiring the night sky through the open window._

 _"The night-time is so beautiful Po…I will miss it."_

 _His gaze snapped to her before he shook his head violently._

 _"Don't talk like that…tell me what's happening," he asked, although he wasn't sure if he wanted the answer._

 _Looking over to her friend, the feline smiled sadly before motioning over to her results chart which was set on the desk on the opposite side of the room. Rising, he stepped over to examine the results. What he found was…devastating._

 _"What…what is this?"_

 _Bringing his eyes to meet Kenli's, he awaited an answer. Somehow, he hoped that she would say something else…anything else than what the results showed._

 _Kenli's gaze faltered for a moment, "Po…I have stage 4 Pancreatic Cancer. There is no cure."_

 _The room was dead silent for several minutes as the two friends looked at each other, almost as if wishing that this reality was just a dream…a nightmare and that they would wake up at any second._

 _Po looked down at the sheet in his hand, "It says that you were diagnosed…two months ago."_

 _The ocelot simply nodded. Stepping over to her, Po took Kenli's hand in his own._

 _"Why? Why didn't you tell me?"_

 _Kenli gave him her trademark smile, "And have you worry yourself into the ground?"_

 _Po opened his mouth to speak, but Kenli lifted her hand up and covered it._

 _"Listen Po, my whole life I've had many luxuries. The greatest luxury I could have ever had was your friendship. You didn't like me because I was rich or popular. You liked me because you are a good person. You liked me for me," she confessed with a sad smile._

 _Po was choked up at this. Of course he'd liked her for who she was. She was an amazing person and the best friend he could have ever wished for. No one had ever given him a chance…but she did. After she'd befriended him, she'd lost her popular status. She'd become an outcast; a nobody. She'd sacrificed her entire reputation for him. And now…now he could never fully repay her._

 _Continuing with tears in her eyes, "And I have spent every minute of these last two months trying my best to make you understand that I like you for who you are as well," she divulged quietly._

 _At this point tears were freely streaming down both her and Po's face's as they comforted each other in silence. Reaching up, Kenli wiped away Po's tears just as she had many years ago at the party._

 _"Y'know I loved you Po," she admitted quietly._

 _Choked up at this, the panda caressed the side of her cheek, "Why didn't you say anything?"_

 _Letting out a sad laugh Kenli mumbled, "I knew you liked Tigress…I didn't want to keep you from that. I mean…c'mon. There's no competition between her and me…she's perfect in every way and I'm…I'm just—"It was Po's turn to hush her as her put his finger over her lips._

 _"You may not be perfect…but I love your imperfections more than anything…And you're right, there would be no competition._

 _Kenli then look down sadly, in a dejected manner, before her face lit up at Po's next words._

 _"Because I would choose you a hundred times over," he replied with a sad smile._

 _Kenli let out a choked sob as tears spilled down her face. Sitting up to her best ability, she drew her panda in for a hug. It was a moment she'd dreamed of since the day of the party. Years later, her wish had finally been granted. It was sweet…bittersweet._

 _Separating partially, she locked eyes with Po._

 _"I need you to promise me one thing," she breathed. Po nodded in answer._

 _"Promise me…to stay away from alcohol." Po gave her a 'really?' look before she broke out a small smile. She knew that he would always keep **that** promise. This next promise may take more convincing however._

 _"All joking aside. Whatever happens, you must promise me one thing. To remain as you are. Never let anything change you, stay a good man," she pleaded with him._

 _Po hesitated. Kenli was his best friend and his world. If anything, at this point in his life she was the only thing that motivated him to be positive and to be a good man…for her. With her, he would never become immoral…but without her? Why does life have to be so unfair?_

 _"I—" he began before he was cut off. Leaning in, Kenli lay a soft kiss on him. The instant their lips connected, it was like fireworks. Po had never been kissed in his life…it was his first. Boy had he been missing out. Kenli's lips were softer than anything he'd ever felt and she tasted like…like peaches. It was intoxicating. Although it only lasted for a few seconds, the kiss felt as if it'd been several hours. Finally separating, they both gasped for air._

 _"Promise me," Kenli breathed, her lids drooping._

 _Po held her hand tightly, "I—I promise."_

 _Smiling in relief, the ocelot had been granted her last wish. She could finally rest in peace. Letting out a deep exhale, her beautiful magenta eyes disappeared behind her eyelids; it would be the last time he would ever see them. Her hand grew cold and limp in his own as Kenli left into the realm of eternal sleep._

 _Lip quivering, Po tried to reach her one last time, "Kenli…"_

 _No response._

 _Dropping his head in defeat, Po managed one last time, his voice breaking, "Kenli…"_

 _She was gone…_

 ** _*End of Flashback*_**

Po sat quietly, his hands folded as he reminisced.

 **'Why is it…that those who _want_ to live the most, and _deserve_ to live the most…die?**

 **And the ones who deserve to die, like the criminals, the killers, the rapists…keep on living?'** Red muttered somberly, for once showing a smidge of empathy.

Po was at loss for words. He didn't have the answer. Kenli deserved to live…she should have lived…but she hadn't. She'd been the perfect friend…she would've been the perfect mate as well. But like most things in his life, fate had snatched her away. She may be gone, but her promises still stood. Never drink alcohol…and stay a good person.

She'd been different than any other girl he'd met.

Similar to Tigress in many ways, it was possible to see how he'd developed affection for the tiger master. Both were independent, strong, no nonsense females. However, Kenli had given him a chance from the very beginning…she'd stuck her neck out for him against everything. Tigress had despised him at first. Although they were on good terms now, Po could never fully shake off the cruel words that his idol had spewed towards him, no matter what the circumstances had been. Tigress was his crush…but Kenli had been special.

At times when Po was at his lowest and he saw no point in carrying on, Kenli's promise would be there to remind him.

Po was brought out of his thoughts by the humming from Nicole.

"Hmm, a man who refuses a drink? You are quite extraordinary Dragon Warrior. Most men can't refuse a drink…my boyfriend could learn a thing or two," the snow leopard said with a smile.

 **'She's taken? Alright I'm out…'** Red grumbled, back to normal.

Walking over to the cooler, she brought out a glass of water. Walking over to the seated warrior, she handed it to him. She then took her seat a respectful distance away from the panda.

Po nodded in thanks, downing the water in a couple swigs. Rubbing the back of his head due to Nicole's high praise, the bear mumbled, "I wouldn't say that, just a guy who got lucky…I'm just trying to not let anyone down."

Nicole's smile just widened further at his rebuttal. Shaking her head in disbelief, she stood up. Taking both their empty glasses to the counter, she set them down before returning to her seat.

"And modest as well," she praised him with a smile.

 **'Yeah… we've been working on that. Getting rid of it doesn't just happen overnight lady,'** Red grunted offhandedly.

Po forced a smile back at the feline. He wished he could hit Red…really **really** hard.

Just as he was about to respond, a loud noise resonated throughout the club

 ** _CRAAAASH!_**

Even in the virtually soundproof VIP area, Po and Nicole winced at the disruptive sound. It seemed to have come from the bar area…

 **'What in the actual fuck was that?'** Red blurted.

* * *

It'd been a long night—even longer, considering the number of drinks they'd had. Inevitably after their fifth or sixth, the Furious Five had begun to completely lose themselves. Imagine the look of horror that would've been painted across Shifu's face, had he seen them now. By the gods…

Monkey and Mantis were currently laughing their arses off at the casino as they and Saber gambled like…well, drunks. As if to make matters worse, the trio had lost nearly ten thousand yuan on this visit—albeit that did little to trouble the wealthy Siberian tiger.

Across the club, the duo of Crane and Viper were seen dancing flamboyantly across the dance floor. They seemed content to the laughing and pandemonium that they were immersed in. Their normal attributes of grace and elegance were virtually non-existent—continually bumping into other club members as they danced ineptly while giggling like children.

The final member of the Five was currently skipping around the club with a dazed smile upon her normally stoic face. Having had more drinks than anyone, the female tiger was nonsensical at best. In fact, she'd been up on the stage performing karaoke moments prior to this… Oh how the mighty have fallen. After leaving the stage, Tigress had been searching for a certain panda for the past half hour.

"Oh Po-ooooo!" she drawled loudly as she skipped through several other club members. This attitude was most surprising, considering the usual nature of the female master. Then again, she'd had four Mai Tais…several Daiquiris…a couple Martini…she'd lost count after. But the point was that she definitely wasn't sober…not even a little bit.

Stopping for a moment her brows creased as she put her hands on her hips in mock annoyance.

'Where is that big fluffy panda? I can't find him! This is getting to be unbearable…' she thought in frustration.

Several seconds pasted before a delighted smile emerged upon the tiger's face again. Giggling hysterically, she couldn't contain herself, "un-BEARable!" she spit out in a guffaw.

Interrupting her moment of hysteria, a voice called out, "Hey."

Turning around, she met the hazel eyes of a male mountain cat who'd sauntered his way over to her. He was definitely a looker. He was fairly tall, had a medium build and he wore a signature black leather jacket. In fact, there were over a dozen club members wearing similar jackets seated on the side of the room where he'd walked over from. Perhaps they were all one crew? Through his manner, it was obvious that he was the typical cocky ladies' man that always got the girl. As he came over, he eyed his feline counterpart up and down.

"You lost babe? Never seen ya 'round her before," he said smoothly.

Tigress smiled back, "Oh, I'm not lost, just looking for a friend…bye bye," she said with a wave before turning and heading off.

However, the heartthrob mountain cat had other plans. Taking hold of here shoulder, he spun her back around deftly.

"Hey. Hey. Why the rush honey? Let me introduce myself, the name's Dick," he offered with a cool smile.

Tigress tilted her head to the side in thought. As if it'd taken several seconds to process what he'd said she giggled, "Haha…I don't like that name. It's silly."

Dick's smile faded as his mouth formed a small 'O' in slight annoyance. However, not noticing the other feline's displeasure Tigress continued unperturbedly.

"I mean Dick…really? Your parents must not have been too smart…am I right? Who would name their child after a guy's penis? What's your middle name Ballsack?" she rambled with a laugh, her tongue thoroughly loosened by the alcohol she'd consumed all night.

Formerly cool and suave, Dick seemed to have a faint glow of red on his face now. It wasn't clear whether it was from anger or embarrassment…or maybe both.

Tigress was completely oblivious to this fact and continued the bombardment of insults upon the now extremely angered playboy.

"I hope they kept the receipt for it. That is one lousy name…" she finished before she was cut off.

"ENOUGH!" Dick screamed at the drunken master. This in effect caused Tigress to zip her lips, although the corners of her mouth were still upturned.

"Am I gonna have to teach you some manners you drunk bitch?" the mountain cat fumed, cracking his knuckles in a threatening manner.

Tigress just smiled innocently at him, "Oh c'mon I was only joking…you don't have to be such a **DICK** about it," she let out before breaking down in fits of laughter.

"Hahahahahahahaha!"

Dick's eye twitched as he let out a feral snarl at the shorter feline. Winding back his fist, he swung a devastating hook at the tiger. Through sheer dumb luck, it was at that precise moment when Tigress hunched over in her fit of laughter, grabbing her hurting ribs. Dick's fist passed harmlessly over her head and impacted with the face of a mean looking boar that'd been walking by.

The boar stumbled back a few steps into a waitress who had been carrying a tray of food. The food then proceeded to spill all over the boar. He hadn't been wearing much except a white wife beater—which was absolutely ruined from all the stains. All in all, he was rather unscathed from the assault. The same couldn't be said for Dick, who was writhing in pain as he cradled his almost certainly broken hand.

The boar turned his furious gaze towards the mountain cat in front of him. Trudging forward, the boar delicately shifted Tigress—who was still busting her guts—out of his path before stomping up to the other feline.

The boar was nearly a head taller than his aggressor and weighed possibly twice as much. Dick looked up at the boar from his injured hand with a timid expression, "Hey there…I'd like to apologize for—" he was cut off as the boar threw a tremendous uppercut to the feline's jaw.

Dick was subsequently sent flying across the room back to where he came from, crashing through several dining tables.

 ** _CRAAAASH!_**

Then…all hell broke loose. The posse of leather jackets—several dozen of them—began to march over to the boar. He was only outnumbered for a moment, before several dozen of his own gang (wearing wife beaters) appeared by his side. The two groups glared daggers at each other at their standoff. Amazingly, the entire club had gone quiet, everyone just watching the scene unfold. Dick staggered forward, clutching his now broken nose.

"Get that bastard!" he roared, pointing towards the boar.

And a free-for-all soon commenced. Fists, kicks…chairs as well, went flying soon after.

* * *

Po came rushing out of the VIP area to find himself surrounded in mass chaos…more so than usual. The club was in complete disarray as some members were rushing around like headless chickens, while others were involved in a giant brawl. Moments behind him, Nicole exited the VIP section before her eye's widened in shock. She swiftly ducked under a flailing club member who'd been sent flying through the air. The club member, a coyote, slammed head first into the wooden wall behind Po and Nicole. His bottom half protruding, the coyote hung half way buried in the wall, unconscious.

Nicole immediately rose from her crouch before taking a look around the club, an expression of disbelief plastered on her face.

"What the hell!" she let out.

Po had to agree somewhat. He couldn't imagine how this had started. Then again, this wasn't much of a surprise either. I mean…throw in a couple hundred drunken people with crazy and violent tendencies. Combine that with a lack of self-control and you're bound to get a club fight sooner or later.

 **'So…who do we hit first? Ooh! ooh! Can we hit Saber first? Pleeeease!'** Red rambled like a child on Christmas day.

Po ignored him before he turned to Nicole, "Shouldn't you call security?"

The snow leopardess, who'd been in a stupor, snapped her gaze to Po before she nodded frantically.

"Yes…good idea. It was nice meeting you Dragon Warrior," she bowed before taking off.

Po was left alone as he stood in the midst of a chaotic mess. He wasn't sure what to do. One thing he did know was that he was tired, and sleep was looking more and more welcoming by the minute. However, he was hit with a realization before he'd made a single step towards the exit of the club.

'The Five!' he thought in realization.

Having almost forgotten about his friends, the panda turned back around to survey the crowded and hectic club. Po frowned in frustration. Finding them was going to be a pain in the neck. Sighing at this, he began his search for the others.

'How hard could it be?' he'd thought optimistically.

 ** _*Time skip*_**

Turns out, it'd been damn near impossible to locate the others. Thankfully, they had been in groups and not wandering around the crazed club separately. It'd taken him nearly half an hour before he'd found Saber, Monkey, and Mantis. The trio had been in the gambling area (Po wasn't surprised) playing poker amidst the madness around them. Next, he'd found Viper and Crane, who'd been dancing on the dance floor, oblivious to the fighting around them. It was amazing how they hadn't gotten into a fight with any of the club members. Po was now searching for Tigress, with the others drunkenly stumbling behind him in tow.

"Tigress!" he called loudly above the mass hysteria of the club.

Thankfully, the massive brawl had been extinguished by a number of security guards. Now Po didn't need to constantly look out for drunken members trying to bash him over the head with chairs. Coming to a halt, Po rubbed his temples in frustration. Where was she? He'd been searching for the feline master for over almost an hour now and there'd been no sign of her.

When it seemed as if he'd never find her, he made out a loud voice that'd come from the bar.

"Another one ***hiccup*** please!"

Recognizing the voice instantly, Po maneuvered past several club members before finding himself face to face with Tigress.

Turning to face the newcomer, a wide smile emerged on Tigress's face.

"Po-oooo! ***hiccup*** I've been looking for you!" she divulged in a slurred voice.

Raising an eyebrow, Po shifted his gaze from the female tiger to the dozen empty glasses on the bar counter behind her.

Not noticing his obvious distaste, Tigress picked up another glass, "You should ***hiccup*** really try this, it's good!"

Bringing the glass up to her lips, she was about to take a swig before Po calmly took held of the glass and set it down on the counter, "I think you've had enough."

Tigress frowned for a moment before giggling lightheartedly, "Whatever ***hiccup*** you say boss!"

Shaking his head, he took hold of her shoulder and ushered her to follow him. Saber and the other members of the Five joined him as they exited the club.

Normally, the journey from the town to the thousand steps was only a five minute walk. However, with the Five and Saber constantly stumbling, it'd taken them nearly half an hour.

Finally arriving at the stairs, Po began the journey up the steps. After several seconds, the sound of screams and tumbling came from behind him. Turning around, he saw that the others were now at the base of the steps in a heap.

Sighing wearily, Po quickly traversed back down to the group.

"Hey, you guys alright?" he asked in a tired tone.

The others just stared blankly at the steps in fascination, not responding to his query. They seemed to be lost in thought, if that was even possible considering the lack of their sobriety.

"Hey!" Po said, a little louder.

Seemingly doing the trick, the others snapped their attention to the bear. Tigress was first to voice her thoughts.

"I don't ***hiccup*** know Po…those stairs are slippery." she said convincingly, the others nodding in agreement.

Po was dumbfounded by this. He was about to tell them that they traversed these steps on a regular basis before stopping himself. They were drunk…

After several moments of thought, Po sighed as he realized what he'd inevitably have to do.

Motioning to himself, "Alright then…climb on."

The others looked at each other for a moment before rushing over and climbing onto the bear. Saber clumsily hooked onto his back, effectively piggybacking him. Monkey and Crane followed suit, both settling on his shoulders. Thankfully, Viper and Mantis were rather easy to accommodate for given their size. Finally, Tigress inelegantly jumped into his arms, causing him to hold her bridal style.

Their weight wasn't nearly as bad as he'd first imagined…but it still was far from comfortable.

With moderate effort, Po began to slowly ascend the steps. It wasn't bad for the first hundred steps or so, but after that his legs began to burn at the effort.

'This is gonna take a while,' he thought miserably.

* * *

It was past midnight by the time Po had reached the top of the stairs. His lungs were burning and his legs were on the verge of buckling from the exertion of carrying the others. He'd then went and laid each of them down onto their respective beds as they were all fast asleep.

With Tigress being the last of them, he entered her room and attempted to set her down onto her bed. However, she refused to let go and latched on even harder than before.

Giggling, Tigress snuggled into his chest fur, seemingly awake. Po, who was all but drained at this point, grumbled, "Tigress let go of me."

Tigress's smile widened even further as she furiously shook her head, "Uh-uh."

Po let out a sigh in exasperation before Tigress pulled him into bed with her. Surprisingly strong despite her drunken state, Po was caught off guard. Both of them tumbled onto the mattress.

Tigress continued to laugh as Po tried to free himself. His struggle was paused for a moment by an incredulous question from the feline master.

"Will you sleep with me?"

Po's brain short-circuited as he processed her inquiry. This was by far one of the boldest things she'd ever done…

Red was first to respond.

 **'Yes please!'**

Po recovered quickly before shaking his head, "Tigress, you're drunk."

Tigress wasn't very pleased with his answer. Forcefully, she grabbed his head and hugged him tightly, burying his face into her chest area.

"Pleeeease!" she whined.

Po could hardly breathe as he struggled to separate himself from Tigress's chest. Thank the gods she was wearing her wraps. His self-control was dwindling as it was…he wasn't sure if he could last if her twin temptations had been squashed into his face.

Managing to pry himself loose, Po got off her bed, "Tigress, the answer is no."

Tigress was quiet for a moment as she sat cross-legged on her bed before her eyes began to water. Soon tears were leaking down her beautiful face as she wept.

"You think I'm ugly? Is that why you don't want me?" she accused with a sob.

Po was feeling rather guilty now; he hadn't wanted her to cry…

"What? No of course not—" he was cut off as she continued.

Tigress buried her face in her hands as her crying intensified, "Is it my face? Do you not like my body? Why?"

Po was virtually lost for words at this point. Holding up his hands he made a calming gesture towards the normally dignified tiger master. Seemingly doing the trick, Tigress quieted down. However, she was still sniveling as she awaited his response.

"Tigress your face and body are fine. I like you but—"

Tigress was having none of it, huffing she cut him off, "Prove it! Kiss me!"

Po stood there slack jawed at what she'd demanded. For the millionth time tonight, the panda wished that he'd just declined Saber's offer and stayed at the palace. He was almost positive that Fate was just screwing with him now. How had he gotten himself into this mess in the first place?

 **'If you'd just agreed to bang her this wouldn't be a problem,'** Red chastised.

Po hesitated before stepping over to the awaiting Tigress. Sitting in anticipation, she tilted her head upwards and closed her eyes. Po lowered his head and softly planted a kiss on the feline's forehead. Subsequently, he tapped several pressure points along the back of her neck. In result, Tigress was put to sleep instantly. Gently laying her in a comfortable position, Po laid covers over her resting form before exiting the room. He was quietly thanking the gods that he'd read scroll 1279 before stopping for the night.

Hopefully things wouldn't be too awkward in the morning. Most likely however, none of the Five or Saber would remember anything from tonight due to their inebriation.

Retiring to his room, Po collapsed onto his bed in exhaustion. His mind went from thoughts of the Five, to Shifu, then Kenli. He eventually dozed off within minutes.

The Dragon Warrior thought today had been taxing…how wrong he was.

The worst was yet to come…and even Oogway couldn't predict what was about to happen next.

* * *

 **A/N: Chapter 7 completed! Hope you guys liked it. There is so much more of this story to unfold. More plot twists and ideas yet to be utilized and introduced! I can't wait, hopefully you guys are excited as I am. Heads up, the next chapter may or may not be released until Summer, so remain patient...please?**

 **Next Chapter: Chapter VIII: An Uphill Climb**

 **As always I love feedback! Reviews are awesome!**

 **That's all for now guys, I'll catch ya'll later.**

 **Frost2001 Out.**


	9. Chapter 8: An Uphill Climb

**A/N: Hey guys I'm back! Sooner than I promised too!** **There have been so many things going on these past few months, from finals to out of school activities to AP tests. And to top it off, I lost my USB drive that contained all my work for the story. Thankfully, I found it...otherwise this chapter probably wouldn't have been completed until mid June since I'd have to retype the WHOLE thing.**

 **Before we get started there's a couple things I need to address.**

 **First, I'm not sure if I mentioned this in my other A/N's but I made a promise to myself and to you guys that I would try and average about 10k words per chapter. Since the first several chapters of the story were so short I've been making the later chapters 14k+ to average it out.**

 **Now this chapter was originally 14k words but I cut out a substantial portion of the end to add to chapter 9 on my next update. This chapter in essence is only 9k long. However, I thought the ending of the chapter was a much more fitting way to lead into chapter 9.**

 **Most notably I MUST warn you!**

 **CHARACTER DEATHS AHEAD!**

 **All I can tell you is that it isn't Po...you'll have to find out who by reading the chapter.**

 **One final thing, I've been thinking of adding recommended soundtracks and sounds for readers to listen to each chapter. Let me know if you think that's a good or bad idea.**

 **Anyways, that's all I have to say on my part! On to the story!**

 **As always, Read and Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Dream Works or Kung Fu Panda. I only own this specific plot and my OCs.**

* * *

 **Chapter VIII: An Uphill Climb**

 _The Panda Village_

It'd been merely a few days after the pandas had settled back into the panda village. Their journey had been a taxing one; most all of them were entirely exhausted. Sadly, while Po had trained them in kung fu and chi, it had done little to help their conditioning. After all, pandas had a natural lack of endurance. The only way around it was intense and consistent training. Such an effort was something that Po's father and the rest of the pandas neither wanted nor thought necessary.

Li was currently relaxed, sitting in a bamboo hammock as he admired the horizon of the cliff a little over a hundred meters away. The landscape had several patches of the luscious green meadow showing, but for the most part, the land was concealed in a velvety blanket of untouched snow. It was good to be back. No Kai…no threats…no kung fu training…no fate of China in the balance…just peace and quiet.

Li managed a small smile albeit a saddened one. Slowly, he reached into his pants pocket to retrieve a picture. It was the one of his wife, Jiao.

"I miss you honey," the elder panda sighed.

Today was the 22nd anniversary of…of Shen's attack. The day he'd lost her, his family, and many a friend. He knew it was selfish to wish she was back here with him, or wishing he was up in the heavens with her. But no matter how much he told himself that…he always ended up reminiscing about the what ifs.

Li was brought out of his thoughts by a small motion in the peripheral vision of his left eye. It was a figure in the distance. Paranoia set in as he snapped his attention to identify the person…

…It was only Lei Lei. The young girl panda was giggling as she skipped around in the snow, playing with her 'Stripey Baby'. She took that doll everywhere with her nowadays. Chuckling quietly at the younger panda, he couldn't believe she was up and about. It was barely midday and a majority of the village slept til well past noon.

Shaking his head, Li scolded himself for his paranoia. He'd been spending too much time with his son. Po's constant hyper-awareness seemed to have rubbed off on him a little too much.

Looking back to the little panda cub, he frowned.

'Well, she is a little close to the cliff ledge. I better go do something about that,' he mused to himself.

However, before he could move a muscle, another figure appeared. He seemed to have risen from the edge of the cliff. Li's hairs stood on end as he watched, frozen.

The figure was a hulking…tiger. The mammal was covered in night black armor, lined by gold. He was also armed with a sword…a really, really huge sword. Even a hundred meters away, Li felt the unmistakable aura of power that radiated from the figure. And now, the threatening warrior trudged slowly over to Lei Lei.

Li wanted to scream, to shout, and to sprint over to them as fast as he could…but he couldn't. His muscles were frozen and his voice was choked. He could only watch in horror as the tiger stepped closer and closer to the helpless panda cub who hadn't even noticed him.

 ***With Lei Lei***

The panda girl was simply minding her business as she played around with her doll that 'Cuddles' had given her.

"Stripey Baby! Stripey Baby!" she giggled, enthused with her favorite toy.

The sound of heavy footsteps in the snow ceased her actions. And the massive shadow that stretched over her seconds later made Lei Lei turn her gaze upwards to look at the being.

"B-bigger Stripey Baby," she questioned, a quiver in her formerly joyful voice. In fear, she backpedaled a few steps before tripping over herself, falling to the ground.

Daemon looked down at the cub with a tilt of his head. He then slowly knelt down, bringing himself closer to the girl panda.

"What's wrong little one?" he asked in a deep voice with a slight smile…the smile didn't reach his eyes.

Still afraid, tears began to well up in Le Lei's amethyst orbs. She hugged her doll tightly as she tried to gain control of her voice.

"Y-youw scawy," she mumbled back.

Daemon looked back at her, nodding his head in understanding with a slight hum of interest.

He then extended his hand out to her. Lei Lei only frightfully stared back at the much larger tiger. She was still quite cautious of the outwardly passive feline.

"I'm sorry I give off that impression. Come, let me help you up," he offered.

Still wary, Lei Lei hesitantly held out her shaky hand. However, nothing happened. Well, at least nothing bad happened. Just as he promised, the warrior rose to his feet, helping her up along the way.

As he rose to his full height, Lei Lei realized how much bigger the tiger was…he was even taller than 'Cuddles'. She met his gaze once more. Daemon returned his own, a slight look of curiosity.

"What is your name little one?" he asked, not unkindly.

Feeling slightly more at ease with the adult before her, Lei Lei answered shyly, "Lei Lei."

A ghost of a smile touched Daemon's features as he looked down at the young bear.

"And tell me Lei Lei…is this place the Panda Village?" he questioned once more.

Young, innocent, naïve, Lei Lei didn't see any danger of his question.

"Yes…"

A thoughtful expression emerged upon the tiger's face as he tapped his chin with his claw. It seems that his spy network had been correct. Not that they were usually wrong about information. The ones who were wrong never had to worry about being wrong a second time. Failure wasn't something he was too keen on.

Shifting his focus back to the panda child before him, he wagged his finger to persuade the girl to come forth a few more steps.

"One last question dear…do the other pandas, more specifically…the adults…have knowledge of chi?" he asked in order to confirm his suspicions.

Not seeing any harm in showing the stranger she began to wave her hands in an all too familiar motion. Daemon raised his eyebrows at this. What was she doing? He soon found out…

"Do you mean glowy paws?" she answered back while waving her hands, which were now glowing bright yellow.

Daemon's eyes widened in surprise. He hadn't known that a mere child could possess the ability of chi control. Daemon was not easily taken off guard but this…this was a shocking revelation…this changed everything.

Seconds after, Lei Lei finished her demonstration. Noticing the tiger's stunned look, the panda girl took it as a compliment. She bowed slightly with a small giggle.

Daemon gave Lei Lei a sympathetic smile, although she didn't even register what it meant.

All she could tell was the big man was giving her a 'funny' look.

Daemon continued to gaze at her before taking a deep breath.

In all his years of destruction…death …conquest…he'd never hurt a child. Children were where he had drawn the line. They were sacred…they were untouchable…They were pure…innocent.

He couldn't

…

But he must.

A look of sorrow was set upon his face as he came to his resolve.

"I'm sorry little one…I really am…"

 ***Minutes before with Li***

His heart was racing a thousand miles an hour as he watched hopelessly. The tiger was now within a few feet of Lei Lei who was on the ground, completely at the warrior's mercy.

However, the feline only knelt down in a peaceful manner and conversed with the little panda. Li continued to watch the scene unfold. After seemingly a few minutes, the tiger helped Lei Lei up out of the snow, before he continued to talk with the girl. The conversation began to drag on for minutes. Li began to wonder if Po's paranoia really **had** rubbed off on him too much.

As he watched them talk, he noticed that Lei Lei had begun to perform several chi motions in front of the tiger. Li observed intently as she finished her demonstration. Still the tiger did nothing. No intent to threaten and certainly no intent to harm Lei Lei.

Maybe he'd been wrong…maybe the tiger was just a traveler…a relative of Tigress?

Yes! That must be it! If he was a kung fu master that would explain the weaponry and the armor!

But…something was wrong. Li wanted to let out a sigh of relief, he wanted to release the tensions he was holding, but his instincts were telling him something wasn't right. And his instincts were never wrong.

Li watched as the tiger once again knelt down to pat Lei Lei on the head. It was an action so innocent, that Li almost dismissed it. That was until what happened next.

Li's blood ran cold as he watched the tiger swiftly grip Lei Lei by the neck. The elder panda could only watch in horror as the warrior expertly twisted the child's neck, bending it to an extreme angle before it snapped.

Emotionlessly, the tiger dropped the figure of Lei Lei to the ground before turning his gaze to look straight at Li. Even from a hundred meters away the stare sent chills down his spine. And not seconds later, more figures began to appear on the horizon, scaling up the cliff. Soon hundreds of enemies, all brandishing weapons, were assembled.

His muscles suddenly unfreezing, Li collapsed out of the hammock. Quickly turning, he sprinted off to the center of the village to warn the others.

Finding his voice, Li screamed at the top of his lungs in a voice mixed of grief, shock, and urgency, "Everyone! Bandits on the outskirts of the village! The south-west cliff!"

As minutes passed, more and more pandas came stumbling out of their houses and towards the weapon shed. Li himself was armed with a large war hammer. As much as he hated to admit it, they were caught with their guard down, they were outnumbered, and he was at fault for not warning everyone sooner.

He just hoped he wasn't too late…

 ***Hours Later***

Horror…Absolute and utter horror. If there ever was something as grim as this sight, may the gods shield the innocent from witnessing such a fate.

The originally white powdery snow that covered the landscape was blackened with ash from the fires that had erupted throughout the village. The green grass of the settlement was stained red…with blood.

The dead bodies of the panda community lay scattered amongst the wreckage. Women, children, the elderly were victims to the same fate; no exceptions.

Li Shan knelt in the midst of this chaos. Clutching his side, he staunched the flow of a small stab wound. He seemed to have a broken rib as well. His clothes torn to shreds, his formerly white and black coat was now a mix of grey and red, covered with dust and blood. Li closed his eyes in despair; they were all gone. He was the last survivor in this village. The screams of the children and the dead plagued his mind as tears streamed down his aged face.

Everything had been so peaceful, so utopian…

The pandas had journeyed home to their secret village and they'd been relaxing as if no harm in the world could come to them. And before they knew it, destruction was right upon their doorstep. A swarm of criminals, possibly in the hundreds, had come up those cliffs. They'd completely surrounded the village, and began to eliminate everyone. The pandas had fought hard, with kung fu and chi techniques that would've made Po proud…but it wasn't enough. By no means did the enemy come out unscathed. For every panda that fell, dozens of criminals fell in return. But for every dozen enemies that fell, twice as many returned. Defeat was all but inevitable. Their noble attempt to stand strong was eventually put to rest by the overwhelming number of felons that seemed endless.

Li opened his eyes to try and keep away the horrid thoughts. He shifted his gaze upwards to meet the dull yellow eyes of the man who'd brought this cruel fate upon them, Daemon. Dressed in his black war armor, the warrior had his long blade in hand.

He stood tall as he looked down grimly at the older man. This attack had been taxing…more so mentally than physically. Daemon was a lot of things. He was ruthless, he was cunning, he was unwavering in his objective, no matter the means…but he wasn't sadistic. He didn't take pleasure in seeing others suffer, much less women and children…especially the children.

"I'm sorry that it must be this way," Daemon consoled the injured panda.

Li would have barked in laughter at the absurdity of the statement had it not been for his cracked rib, "Right…" he returned sarcastically.

Daemon's subordinates that encircled the two, stepped forward, in plans to punish the panda for his disrespectful attitude towards their master. Daemon waved them off.

Kneeling down to one knee, the tiger looked at the panda levelly. He stared into the tired eyes of the panda trying to understand the pain behind them.

"I don't expect you to forgive or believe me. But I assure you that this was nothing personal," he emphasized before rising to his feet. Elegantly, Daemon brought the razor steel blade high above his head. The weapon was impossibly large, measuring six feet in length and nearly a foot in width. Not to mention it looked to be well over a hundred pounds. For anybody else it would have been impractical, but Daemon handled the weapon as if it were as light as a feather. The blade glinted as the orange light of the dancing fires reflected across the metal surface.

"I wish you peace in the realm of the dead," the tiger rumbled resolutely.

Momentarily, Li's life flashed before his eyes. Just imagine, he'd survived the devastation of Shen's massacre, fought off sickness and age, miraculously survived Kai against all the odds, yet all things came to an end. And fate had finally decided that his time was up.

Li Shan tiredly closed his eyes as he awaited his fate. He wasn't worried, this mad-man may be tough, but he was confident that Po would stop him. The Dragon Warrior had never failed, and he believed his son would defeat Daemon as he did to others before him.

Clutching the yin-yang necklace Po had gifted him in his bloodied hand, Li sighed. The old panda was thankful that he'd been able to bid his son a proper farewell before leaving the Valley. He was going to miss his little Lotus. However, Li also missed someone else. After all these years…he'd finally see his beloved wife, Jiao, again. A desolate tear of sorrow and relief trailed down the older bear's face, 'Jiao, honey…I'm on my way.'

 **Woooosh!**

Daemon brought the steel blade down in a deadly arc. And after years of suffering in solitude, Li finally rejoined his beloved wife in the realm of the stars up above. He would be missed, and never forgotten. And if you paid real close attention to the night sky, through all the ashes and smoke, you'd see a glimmer of a new star, shining brightly next to its partner in the sky.

* * *

 _The South China Sea_

 _300 nautical miles off the shore of Zhanjiang_

Kiara somewhat questioned her decision making at the moment.

Forty-two days…It'd been forty-two days since she'd set foot on solid ground.

Being confined to her room for most of her life, the lioness had never traveled on a boat, much less for upwards of an entire month. Naturally, sea sickness was her worst enemy; she had zero tolerance for the constant shifting of the wooden planks underfoot. As one could suspect, Kiara had spent the first week of the voyage heaving her guts over the edge of the ship.

Luckily, that dreadful time had passed. The worst she got was a little queasy now and again. She was quite grateful for that. After all, having the constant taste of vomit in her mouth had gotten real old, real quick.

Currently in her room, Kiara was slumped lazily in the rope clothe hammock that hung in the corner of the space. Her magenta eyes drearily gazed out of the dorm's window at the deep blue waves of the ocean, as she took a bite out of an apple. The sweet and sour juices of the fruit helped to settle her stomach. It was rather quiet, nothing but the sounds of the waves crashing against the hull and the occasional creak of the floorboards. Deciding that she might as well get some fresh air, Kiara hopped out of the hammock before exiting the room.

Making her way out onto the upper deck, Kiara finally stopped to lean on the railing. The ship was anchored at the moment. Most likely the crew and captain were eating supper in the dining hall below deck. They were probably done sailing for the day, especially since night was almost upon them.

Bringing herself out of her thoughts, Kiara brought her attention to the fading sun, which was setting on the sea's horizon; it was quite the spectacle. Not only that, but it was the most soothing combinations of nature she'd ever experienced.

Mixing with the deep blue of the ocean, the blend of orange and pink hues in the sky were stunning. That along with the cool salty breeze, and the calm rhythm of the waves, made her forget all the hardships she'd been through these past weeks. Without a doubt…it'd been worth it. Never had she seen such a beautiful sight.

"Aye, the sunset is far more beautiful when out at sea."

Spinning around, Kiara discovered the origin of the voice to be Captain Stan himself. First impressions could be quite misleading; it was the same case with the captain.

Initially, Kiara had pegged the honey badger as an ill-mannered and inconsiderate slob. However, ever since the first day at sea, he'd been the exact opposite of the man she'd encountered when they'd first met. In hindsight, she **had** woken him up abruptly at 2 AM in the morning; his irritated attitude had been fairly justified.

"Yes, it really is," Kiara nodded in agreement.

The lioness hated it admit, but the sea had grown on her; everything from the constant shifting of the boat, to the belligerent storms, to the sticky heat of the monsoons.

"How much longer until we arrive at Port Zhanjiang?" she asked in curiosity.

Tapping his chin in thought, the captain pulled a pocket book out of his weathered coat. Flipping through the pages, his deep brown eyes scanned from left to right until he stopped on a certain page.

"We've been traveling for roughly Forty-two days…and nine hours. We've averaged around six knots. Considerin' the weather conditions hold up…I'd say we'll be docked at Zhanjiang in a short two days, give or take," he speculated, as he crunched the numbers in his head.

Kiara nodded in return. Splendid! She was making better time than she'd estimated. Originally the princess thought it would take months and months to get to China ship or no ship. However, if Stan's prediction was correct, they'd be arriving in China in less than two months travel. This was predominately due to the rowers and their fortune of weather; which had been primarily pacific.

'Lord Yam has been kind to us,' Kiara thought wistfully.

After Stan answered the question, he quieted. The honey badger stood still for a moment, fidgeting uncomfortably. This was most unlike the usually candid badger.

Confused, the lioness was about to voice her concern before the old captain retrieved a pouch from under his coat.

"I felt guilty for a number of reasons. Firstly, how I treated you on the first day. But more recently, since you didn't get a birthday present," he divulged bashfully, if it were possible for the old sea dog.

Kiara's eyes widened in comprehension before she delicately accepted the gift.

You see…a few days ago she'd been in a chipper mood. It was quite a noticeable change from the lioness's formerly sour disposition—due to her constant seasickness.

After being relentlessly pressed to reveal the reason by a number of the crew, she'd finally admitted that it was her birthday, 21st to be precise. As one could guess, the crew had gone wild, and thrown the modest lioness a party. Full of dancing, singing, and all the other hearty pastimes of a sailor, it'd been quite a crazy time.

However, she hadn't told them the exact truth. While it was her 21st birthday, that wasn't the reason she'd been so lively. It was the fact that she was thousands of miles away from Egypt, but more importantly, her arranged marriage. If she was in Egypt right now she'd be vowing away her life to that loser leopard, Samuel, who she'd be stuck with until the end of her days.

Kiara mentally snorted in derision. As **if** she'd stick around for that dreadful affair to occur. No thank you.

Carefully, Kiara untied the pouch and dumped the contents into her paw. To her surprise, a small bracelet slipped out and fell into her grasp. While it wasn't the most luxurious jewelry, it was beautiful in her eyes. Having a simple leather strap, the center piece was a silver moon crest. Although the silver was tarnished, it didn't take away from this simple yet elegant design.

"It's…beautiful Stan, thank you," she said in gratitude before taking the badger up in a hug.

Awkwardly patting the taller woman on the back, Stan managed to free himself.

"It's my pleasure…it was my daughter's…ya remind me so much of her," he returned quietly.

Kiara hesitated; she was entering dangerous territory now. She'd have to watch her next words very carefully.

"Do you mind me asking…what happened?" she squeaked. Internally, she grimaced. That sounded much better in her head.

It was Stan's turn to lean on the railway of the upper deck. He simply watched the sunset for several minutes. As time passed by without a single utterance from the captain, Kiara grew worried that she'd upset him.

Seconds before the princess tried voicing her apology, Stan began, "I-I don't really know…Ya see, when she was growin' up I'd take her with me on my trips. We'd have the best of times…she always promised to journey with me forever…"

Kiara was silent in apprehension as she listened to the badger. She let out a small remark as he paused, "You two sounded very close."

Stan finally looked away from the sunset, meeting the lioness's eyes, "We were…And…I **thought** we was havin' a good time. And that…I was doin' a pretty good job being a dad…Because unlike my father, I wasn't an abusive drunk, I tried to support her whenever she needed it and…I didn't leave, like my father had…"

Kiara tilted her head as she listened intently. Where was this going?

"Then, time passes and my daughter goes off to do work in another city. And…she doesn't come home for weekends, or summers, or holidays, or ever…And I started to get a feelin' that…maybe she wasn't havin' such a good time…and maybe…I didn't do such a good job raisin' her…And…that **really** hurts…" he mumbled with a sigh.

Tears had been welling up in Kiara's eyes as she'd listened to badger. Was that how all fathers felt when their daughters left? Was that how her father felt right now?

Granted, she'd been extremely mad with him, but now that she'd had time to reflect and cool off, she felt guilty…very guilty. How could she do this to her Dad? He must be worried sick…

Kiara met the captain's eyes, as his mature gaze almost perceived her thoughts. Funny how different a situation looked when you were given another person's perspective.

Sighing, Stan patted the lioness on the shoulder, "Get some rest young one. We'll see ya in the mornin'."

With that, the captain ambled off towards his quarters, leaving Kiara alone on the deck.

Tired herself, the princess decided to call it a night as well. However, Kiara doubted that she'd get much sleep after that conversation.

 ***Hours later***

"Get up!"

Kiara shot out of her hammock, almost falling to the floor if Stan hadn't caught her. Still groggy from sleep, the lioness blinked several times to clear her vision. There was no way that it was morning already. In fact, it definitely wasn't morning because there was no sunlight, seeing as her room was as dark as it'd been when she'd gone to sleep. Taking a quick glance out her dorm's window she noticed that the sky was still a deep black, with a pink aura on the horizon. Kiara judged it must have been near dawn. Turning her attention back the badger, she noticed him stuffing all of her belongings into her backpack at a tremendous rate.

"Stan, what gives?"

The captain ignored her before hastily kneeling down and prying up a few loose planks on the floor. To Kiara's surprise, there was a small hiding chamber underneath the floor. Perplexed, she switched her gaze back to the badger.

"No time girl, pirates are boarding the ship as we speak, you must stay in here for yer' safety," he stated firmly, while half-urging, half-forcing Kiara into the enclose space.

"But-" Kiara was cut off by the strict voice of Stan.

"No buts! And not a sound. You must remain silent," he ordered in finality before dropping down her bag of belongings and re-closing the planks.

Kiara silently obeyed his command as she sat in the even darker space. However, thanks to her feline senses, she could hear the chaos that was happening above on the deck. The sounds of yells, clashing, and crashing could be heard.

 ***On the deck***

A horde of pirates were grappling up the side of the ship as a pirate vessel anchored itself to Stan's boat. Crew members valiantly attempted to fight off this onslaught, but they were overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of the felons boarding the ship. They were like rats; endlessly swarming from the other ship.

In no time at all, Stan and his crew were pinned and restrained by the pirates. A plank was thrown onto the ships edge, effectively making a walkway between both vessels. A threatening figure ambled down the board before he set foot onto the seized boat.

Quite tall, possible six foot if not more, an auburn orangutan shifted his crusty lime-green eyes to gaze upon the captured prisoners. He wore a tattered black vest, along with a belt constructed of simple fabric. Disturbingly, the belt was also embroidered with…bones. Atop the grisly figure's head was a brown captain's hat marked with a skull.

After scanning the deck once, his face morphed into a slight smile…some would likely call it a snarl instead. His teeth were all brown and black, aside from several golden teeth that reflected the lantern light.

"Ello, ello. You must be the owner of this beauty of a ship. The name's Butch…Jean Butch," he said in a scratchy voice, sticking his hand out in a mock gesture to shake the chained badger's hand.

Stan looked back at the ape in a passive manner. Butch smiled, although his eyes narrowed fractionally.

Continuing, the ape withdrew his hand and lay it on the top of his scabbard, "I hate to intrude in such a manner, but I've caught wind of some interesting rumors regardin' this fine vessel of yours capt'n," the ape disclosed with a frightening smile.

Stan narrowed his eyes as he tried to decipher the orangutan's message.

"And what would that be?"

Drawing his rapier, Butch scratched his neck with it while he answered, "Why, I've heard rumors of an escaped princess aboard this very ship."

The badger's eyes widened for a moment before he immediately recollected his cool.

"I'm afraid you're looking on the wrong ship. There's no woman among us, much less a princess," he responded as evenly as he could.

Butch raised an eye-brow. Stepping forward in a slow threatening manner, the ape knelt down until his face was inches away from Stan, his bloodshot eyes meeting with the badgers.

"Are you sure? She's a golden blonde lioness. Magenta eyes. Quite the beauty according to the rumors. Escaped out of the Valley of Ra, Egypt. On the short side…" he listed off lazily, his putrid breath reeked of oysters and old tuna.

Stan wrinkled his noise as he shook his head. The pirate gazed at the badger before laughing.

"Harghharghharghharghharghhargh."

It was a hideous laugh that in effect caused several of the restrained crew members to cringe. Even Butch's own pirate crew winced at this. Rising to his feet, Butch cackled for a few more moments before calming himself.

"Y'know I may be a pirate…but I'm not stupid. This little brat has a fifteen-thousand drachma bounty on her head! So, if you aren't goin' to tell me, I'll start mincing you and ya' crew…one at a time," he growled as he waved his sword in a menacing fashion.

Stan stayed silent as he stared back at the pirate, unmoved. His crew had a similar resemblance. The princess had grown on them. Her witty remarks and lively youth had allowed the crew to remember the joy of sailing. They'd damn themselves before handing her over to the scum of the sea. After the silence dragged on Butch realized that neither the captain nor his crew were going to budge. No matter, more fun for him then!

Shrugging, Butch smiled sinisterly, "Alright…have it your way. I believe your left arm will go first."

The orangutan sauntered over to the chained badger whilst swinging his blade around lazily. Raising the sword above his head, he was seconds away from dismembering Stan. Closing his eyes, Stan awaited his fate before something worse than any physical pain happened—the sound of **her** voice.

"Wait stop!" a feminine voice projected across the deck.

All eyes turned to seek the origin of the voice. Hands clenched, Princess Kiara stood firmly on the overhead deck as everyone's attention gravitated towards the lioness.

Moments earlier she'd been listening intently from below deck. As it'd taken a turn for the worse, the lioness had pried off the planks and sprinted for the deck. It was one thing to ask her to hide from pirates. It was another to sit back and let the crew…her friends be tortured because of her.

Now as the eyes of all the crew and pirates landed on her, she felt rather exposed, especially due to the utter silence after she'd announced her presence. The crew looked at her in shock. Meeting eyes with Stan, the only thing Kiara saw in his expression was dread. She quickly nodded in his direction, a silent message.

'Thank you Stan, but I won't let you do this'

Kiara then locked eyes with the pirate captain, "I'll go with you, just please don't hurt them."

Butch rolled his eyes at the cliché phrasing of the princess, "Yeah, yeah…seize her!"

Two pirate members, one bull and another hyena, were swift to restrain the lioness as they escorted her down the stairs of the deck and towards the plank that led to the pirate ship.

"No!" Stan yelled in desperation.

The rest of the pirates quickly swarmed back onto their own ship as fast as they'd come leaving only Butch and the chained crew and Stan.

"Pleasure doing business with you capt'n," the orangutan chuckled before dropping the key to the chains onto the deck several meters away from Stan. The pirate then sprung back onto his own ship. the vessel took only a couple minutes before it was a good hundred meters away from the badger's boat.

Kiara, still being restrained by the two pirates, watched glumly as the distance between her and friends grew. However, to her horror, the sound of Butch's voice cut through the salty air.

"FIRE!"

Seconds later, the dozens of cannons along the ship lit to life. The deadly ordinances sent rounds and rounds of cannon balls towards Stan and his crew.

"NOO!" the princess screamed, struggling against her captors in desperation as she watched Stan's ship catch fire before it began to sink into the blue depths below. Her attempts in struggling quickly died down as her body was wracked with sobs. Stan…her friends on the crew…everyone she'd been traveling with for the past month…gone. The sound of leather boots brought Kiara out of her self-sorrow. Looking up, she gave a heated glare at the orange orangutan before her. Kiara was above all things a kind person. There were very few people she hated. Akua, for a long time had been atop the list by a fair distance…but as of right now, Butch was second…a **very** close second.

"I-I hate you!" the lioness spat. Her death stare was met with the amused eyes of the pirate as he gave the princess a crooked smile. No doubt, this girl was a fighter, not to mention brave. He almost felt bad about it… **almost**.

Laughing, the Butch sheathed his saber, "Hate me, love me, doesn't matter how you feel princess. All I know is that you're worth enough drachma to retire me."

If possible the lioness's scowl deepened as she was reminded that the sleazebag pirate had killed her friends for nothing more than money.

"Captain what do we do with her?" one of the pirates asked.

In thought for a moment, the ape stroked his chin hairs while looking the feline up and down before spotting the bag on her back.

"First, check her bag. Then check if she has any weapons or tools on her. After yer' done with that put in the holding cell and shackle her up," he ordered, all while Kiara burned holes into him with her stare. Butch then made his way off towards the opposite side of the ship, presumably where the captain's quarters resided.

Following the captain's orders, the two subordinates stripped the lioness of her bag before giving her a pat down to assure there was nothing concealed in her garments. Kiara growled in irritation as one of the captors got a little handsy before kneeing the culprit in his family jewels. The pirate, a hyena, buckled over with a yelp. His comrade, not pleased with the girl's actions, dead-legged the princess, forcing her onto her knees. Recovering from the pain, the hyena snarled viscously at Kiara before swiping her hard across the face. Kiara hissed in pain.

Seconds later, the lioness felt the damp feeling of blood drip down her left cheek. She grimaced as the metallic tasting liquid inadvertently entered her mouth. Looking up, the princess noticed that the hyena had knelt down to her face level.

"You better watch your actions ya dumb bitch! Or a cut on your pretty little face will be the least of your worries!" he threatened in an angered voice.

In answer, Kiara spat a mixture of blood and saliva —which had been collecting for the last minute—all over the hyena's enraged expression.

"Ughh!" he shrieked, clawing at his face as he tried to dislodge the substance from his eye. Kiara smirked in satisfaction. Her moment of victory was short lived however as the bull pirate swiftly booted her across the face, sending her tumbling to the wooden floor.

Kiara groaned in pain from her most recently acquired injury…she wasn't doing herself any favors.

The two crew members, their patience well at an end, then dragged her roughly across the splintery deck towards the holding cell.

Kiara's eye's widened as they approached a solid steel door with only a small window. The opening was blocked with bars that not even her lithe arms could reach through.

Unlocking the door, the bull pirate swung it open forcefully to reveal a dark room lit by a single lantern. The floor was comprised of stone tiles, most likely atop wooden floor. And several sections of the tile floor was stained red…Kiara refrained from the gruesome thoughts her imagination began to form. The walls were also plated by stone tiles. The floor was littered with bones, cloth rags, among other gruesome items. In the corner of the room were two shackles.

"This room gives me the creeps," the bull spouted towards his friend.

The hyena rolled his eyes, "Yeah, well…good thing you're not the one who's stayin' here."

Kiara taking advantage of their distraction stamped her heel down onto the hyena's left foot.

"Arggh!" he screamed as he clutched his foot in reflex, releasing his hold on the princess. Not wasting any time, Kiara spun away from the pirate and was about to sprint towards the boat's railing before a set of rough hands seized her by the tail. Yelping in pain, the lioness was yanked backwards until an iron grip closed around her neck.

The bull bandit, tired of the feline's antics, swiftly carried Kiara towards the chains, all while she struggled for breath through his choke hold. Roughly slamming the princess against the stone wall, he then secured her wrists with the cuffs before finally releasing her throat. The lioness panted in relief as she frantically refilled her lungs with oxygen. Not seconds after recovering, she looked up with a venomous growl at the two felons before her.

"You better get comfortable, cuz this is yer' home for the next two months," the hyena taunted before wincing in pain as he took a step towards the door. Both pirates exited the room shortly after. The sound of the heavy metal door slamming jolted the feline.

Kiara huffed in irritation before her ears perked up at the sound of their voices outside the door. Her feline senses more acute than most other animals, allowed her to catch the last part of the pirates' conversation.

"What's the next stop, cuz I think that capt'n said we was runnin' low on supplies," the bull asked his compatriot.

"The closest major port is Zhanjagong," the hyena faltered for a moment.

The Bull pirate was quick to respond, "I think you mean, Zhanjiang."

 _ **Smack!**_

"Ow!"

"Don't tell me what I know, Tucker!" the hyena snarled, as the bull massaged his now sore noggin.

"Well I can't wait…I love Chinese food," the bull continued with a chuckle. The hyena whacked the other pirate over the head once more.

 _ **Smack!**_

"Ow!"

Shaking his head in contempt, the hyena grumbled, "Always thinking about food."

With that, the two pirates ambled off, most likely to report to Butch, clueless that the princess had overheard them.

Hearing their footsteps gradually grow quieter, Kiara waited until she was sure they were completely gone before she began to struggle against the restraints. After several minutes of straining herself she stopped in exhaustion… it was pointless. The restraints were half-inch thick steel rings bolted into the stone wall…they wouldn't budge against a rhino, much less, a smaller than average lioness. So she sat there in the quiet, barely lit chamber. She was tired both mentally and physically, aching in pain, and emotionally distraught.

As if things couldn't have gotten worse, the dim light of her holding cell went out. Kiara sat there as she tried to think. There was something that those two pirates had mention just moments prior that was crucial information, especially to her. The pirate ship was making a port stop at Zhanjiang…why was that important? Had she been healthy and fully awake, the princess would have immediately recognized the connection. But as of the moment, she just couldn't think straight. She would have scolded herself for such a lack in composure and reason. However, with the complete shock and grief of losing Stan and the others, her mind was a tangled mess. Curling up in a fetal position, she hugged her knees as stared blankly into the darkness. Her normal spark of optimism was virtually depleted at this point. Kiara closed her eyes as several tears rolled down her cheeks. She didn't even react as the salty trails stung against the open cut on her face. It wasn't the first time during her trip that she'd regretted leaving the safety of her father's fortress back in the valley. She was out of her league here. Her father had been right…she wasn't prepared for the constant threats that continually sought her out. She was just an impetuous brat…a naïve young adult that wouldn't listen. And now, where was she? She was thousands of miles from home with no chance of rescue, incarcerated, and very much alone. Kiara was on the verge of hopelessness, at least until she heard a voice.

'Keep faith my child…you are strong...believe in yourself.'

The lioness's magenta orbs snapped open. She swiveled her head around to find the origin of the voice. It had been her mother…she was sure of it.

And as quickly as her spark of optimism had died, it was reignited with a passion.

Her gaze hardened in a look of defiance. She wasn't some nobody; she was a princess of the Egypt. She'd been faced with dozens of monumental problems before; not once had she admitted defeat…and she wasn't planning on doing so any time soon.

'Where there's a will there's a way…And where there's a chance there's always hope,' she thought resolutely.

Trying to focus, Kiara began to think over her next course of action before yawning loudly. Her thought process was foggy…and the lioness was severely lacking sleep. No matter how inspired she was, Kiara realized that trying to retain a clear line of thinking in her current state was a waste of her remaining energy and time. Deciding that she'd be more capable at forming a plan fully rested, she laid her head back against the cold tile as she closed her eyes.

"Rest in peace Stan…May _Aken_ guide you and your crew to the Field of Reeds," she muttered, before allowing herself a much need rest.

* * *

 _The Valley of Peace_

It was early morning. Rays of sunlight were just beginning to peak out from behind the mountains of the south-east. Normally, the golden orb would arise from behind the much higher mountain range due east. However, merely a day away from the Winter Solstice, the sun rose and set as close to the south-eastern and south-western mountains as it would all year.

Not that it mattered to Po in the least. Ever since Kai, the Dragon Warrior had maintained a schedule of punctuality that he'd abided by to the dot…for most days. There was the occasional day where he slept in later. Today was not one of those days.

Po was currently sitting in a lotus position inside the scroll room. Scroll 2003 was laid across his lap as he deciphered its text. It was over languages…dozens and dozens of different languages. He was only about five hundred scrolls away from being finished with these darn things. Shifu would probably be thrilled…especially since the Grandmaster was unaware that the Dragon Warrior had even begun to read the scrolls.

Po chuckled as he pictured the look upon his master's face when he told him he'd memorized all two-thousand something scrolls in the time the red-panda was away.

In the past few weeks he'd managed to memorize more scrolls than normal masters could manage over a lifetime. This detail seemed trivial to Po, but unbeknownst to him, that was probably his greatest gift asides from his pure heart. Not his humor, not his affinity to kung fu, not his cooking, but his absolute unnatural ability to memorize anything and everything. He'd always been able to memorize details over the most inconsequential things. It was a factor in why he'd been so good at cooking. Why he had an encyclopedic knowledge of kung fu history. And why he'd progressed so fast as a master of the martial arts.

Shifu was well aware of Po's ability and had mentioned it several times in their conversations but Po didn't think too much of it. Po was humble, very humble…but he was also quite clueless at times.

Shifu had mentioned he was a natural talent…once in a _myrioi_ …whatever that meant.

Po had died of curiosity to find the meaning of the word. He scanned through several Mandarin dictionaries to no avail. All the Grandmaster said was that the phrase was of Greek origin. At the time, Po hadn't known what Greek meant either. However, thanks to scroll…1931...or was it…1941…whichever scroll that he'd studied over geography, he learned that Greece was a country in southern Europe bordered by the Mediterranean Sea. And Greek was most likely the language they spoke.

'Joke's on Shifu…I'll figure out the word once I reach the Greek section in this blasted scroll,' Po thought in slight satisfaction.

 **'It means ten-thousand…usually referring to a period of years,'** Red said in a matter-of-factly tone.

"Yeah. Yeah. Be quiet Red, I'm reading," Po returned in a monotone, so engrossed in the scroll that he hadn't even registered what the voice had told him.

As the panda continued reading, he experimentally unraveled more of the parchment to see how much was left. To his utter dismay, the scroll rolled across his lap and continued to unravel until it finally stopped at the doorway…ten meters away. This scroll was taking FOREVER to finish.

It was by far the longest scroll he'd studied. Po had been reading this scroll for several days now, and he still was barely half-way done.

After finishing up on the Latin section, he decided a break was in order. Folding a crease in the parchment as a bookmark, the panda rerolled the scroll before rising to his feet. Po then set the scroll down onto the table before making his way out onto the stone patio. As he strolled through the garden area across the cool pavement, the panda headed towards the training hall to check on the others. However, much to his annoyance, there were no sounds coming from the hall to indicate the presence of his 'students'…'friends'…whatever they were at this point.

As he opened the training hall doors, his suspicion was confirmed, neither the Five nor Saber were present. Po huffed in irritation; this was getting to be ridiculous.

Rubbing his temples in contemplation, Po grumbled to himself. He'd let them off the hook two days ago since they'd all woken up with hangovers and massive headaches. Training had proven to be pointless. Heck! He even let them off yesterday just in case. But he had told all of them that training was certain for today; it wasn't negotiable.

It wasn't as if the schedule has changed…

Ever since Kai, Po had maintained the same schedule every hour of every day.

Wake up 5 AM sharp. Forgo breakfast. Train and Meditate until 7. Monday through Thursday the Five would train by themselves from 7 until 10. Afterwards they'd be given a half hour break before Po would give each of them a specific routine to work on from the next couple hours until noon. Lunch was at one o'clock. Past that, the Five were only required to complete an hour of meditation before they were given the rest of the day off until half an hour of pre-dinner sparing. The Five were given Friday through Sunday off. These were the days to rest, recover, or have personal extra training, albeit Tigress was the only one to ever do that.

This of course didn't take into account the score panel, which gave the weekly winner extra days off. Not that it really mattered, seeing as Tigress won a majority of the time and she abhorred taking time off her training…until as of recently.

Of course, Po and Shifu had compromised on several points of the schedule. At first, the shortage in training time had been a concern to the grandmaster. The initial training time in a day had gone from nearly eleven hours down to a little over five excluding meditation; virtually halving the training time. Po had argued for quality over quantity. He'd noticed that none of the Five, even Tigress, could maintain their machine-like level of concentration or intensity for any longer than intervals of approximately three hours. Thinking their efficiency in training would benefit from a change; Po dramatically shortened the training time and broke up the training into intervals of three and two hours of training with a half hour break in between.

Shifu eventually agreed to the new regimen but not without his own input. The red-panda introduced the training leaderboard to provide incentive for competition among the warriors. Although Po disliked Shifu's idea, he compromised, as the grandmaster had.

In result of this, the Five had exceeded all of Po's and Shifu's expectations in the rate of their improvement.

However, that rate had somewhat declined over the past few weeks, mainly due to the arrival of one party-loving Siberian tiger. Saber was in essence, a bounty hunter. He was skilled, no doubt. But he lacked the discipline and the motivation to train as often as the Five did. He wasn't necessarily lazy, but he definitely didn't come off as an extremely hard worker either. In fact, the tiger and his past-self bore a stunning resemblance. Saber was a party-goer and didn't take training very seriously, much like he had before. And he was a jokester and always joking about everything…much like he had before. There was one significant difference however. All that joking nature and lax attitude had been beaten out of Po, quite literally, by Kai. That experience of near death had imprinted itself on the panda, and he'd vowed to never be caught off guard again. He couldn't afford it…his friends and family couldn't afford it…China couldn't afford it.

Po chuckled wryly at this. Somehow…he didn't think Saber had ever encountered such a life-changing incident. But there were quite of few parallels…as much as he hated to admit it.

 **'Yeah, there are also quite a few differences as well. He's fit and muscular…your one sandwich away from fat. He's attractive and suave…you're about as charismatic as a rock. And upon his arrival, Tigress basically jumped his bones…upon yours, she broke your bones. Shall I continue?'** Red listed off with too much amusement in his voice for Po's liking.

Po grunted in indignation while rolling his eyes.

"Let's not forget that Saber also doesn't have a perpetual nuisance inside his head," Po returned sharply.

 **'Okay! Let's not get personal,'** the voice answered back in wounded tone.

Ignoring him, Po slammed the training hall doors shut, before marching off in the direction of their quarters. Normally the most pacific member of the Jade Palace, it was obvious that he had reached the threshold of his patience. Po's stomping echoed loudly throughout the courtyard as he drew closer and closer to the barracks.

 **'Maybe they should do this more often…I never see you this riled up,'** Red quipped.

Po ignored him as he ascended the stone steps before finally passing through the entrance of the barracks. Coming to a full stop, Po cleared his throat loudly. However, he got no return from the silent dormitories that were on either side of him.

About to erupt in a loud explosion of anger, Po realized something. In his anger, he hadn't noticed the lack of noise coming from Five and Saber's rooms.

To confirm his suspicions, Po stepped over to Tigress's door, giving a firm knock on the wooden framework.

"Tigress? You in there?"

No response.

Swiftly opening the door, Po's eyes widened as he took in the sight of an empty mattress. This was strange. Quickly, Po went around to each dorm to check on the others. He got the same result in each one; empty. The sheets were made, so he concluded that they hadn't left in a rush. They weren't at the training hall or the kitchen…where the heck were they?

Confounded, his irritation began to simmer down as he entered his own room. As he made his way over to his dresser, he noticed a small note placed on the top of it that hadn't been there the night before.

Reaching down, Po snatched the paper. His eyes scanned the document thoroughly as his expression changed from dumb-founded to exasperated then back to dumb-founded again.

This must be a joke…Tigress would never agree to this. And on a training day no less!

"You've got to be shit-"

 ** _Goooong! Goooong! Goooong!_**

Whatever the Dragon Warrior was about to say was cut off by the alarm bells of the village down in the Valley…A bandit attack!

Po rolled his eyes. He couldn't believe his luck! On all of the days that the bandits had decided to attack it had to be today!

"No back up today…guess I'll have to go solo," the bear mumbled. Letting the paper drop from his grasp, Po bolted out of the barracks and across the grounds towards the thousand steps. He was a black and white blur as he zipped down the mountain towards the village.

Back in his room, the note that he'd dropped floated downwards slowly, before coming to a rest on the wooden planks below.

It was short note written in Tigress's hand.

It read:

 _Po,_

 _Saber wanted to check out the hot-springs this morning and the others and I didn't see any harm in it. In fact, the cool weather is a perfect time for the springs. I know we have training today, but Saber told us that we need to let loose a little and even though I love training…I agree with him somewhat. Anyways, we didn't want to bother you, seeing as you've been concentrating on those scrolls for the past several days. Hopefully you find this message and nothing bad happens. I mean…the valley hasn't had a bandit attack in almost half a year. A few hours of fun in the mountain springs won't hurt._

 _Yours Truly,_

 _~Tigress~_

* * *

 **A/N: And that's the end of Chapter 8. Hopefully even though it was a shorter chapter than usual it wasn't too much of a let down. Everything in the story is beginning to take shape. Just a few more tweaks and it's gonna be crazy.**

 **Also, Kiara is referring to her Egyptian Gods.**

 **Aken- Custodian of the boat which ferried souls across Lily Lake to the Field of Reeds in the afterlife. He slept until he was needed by Hraf-Hef, the surly Divine Ferryman. His name only appears in the Book of the Dead.**

 **Field of Reeds- The Egyptian paradise in the afterlife which the soul was admitted to after passing successfully through judgment and being justified by Osiris. It was a direct reflection of one's life on earth where one continued to enjoy everything as before but without sickness, disappointment, or the threat of death.**

 **Lord Yam- He was the personification of the raging sea and greatly feared. No temples were ever raised to him but he is referenced in some manuscripts which indicate he was a concern to seafarers who may have worn amulets with his image for protection.**

 **Hope you guys and girls look forward to the next chapter, Chapter IX: The Forgotten** **Warrior**

 **Have a good one and I'll see you next time!**

 **Frost2001 Out!**


	10. Chapter 9: The Forgotten Warrior

**A/N:**

 **Hey guys! I'm back with another chapter that will hopefully accomplish all the goals I've set for it.**

 **1\. Advance the plot and** **story-line**

 **2\. Keep you guys entertained and on the edge of your seats**

 **3\. Make you pity Po even more than before...if that's even possible at this point**

 **4\. Introduce a main character that I've been longing to take a crack at**

 **Anyways, this chapter was extremely fun to write and hopefully, extremely fun to read. I hope to give you guys at least two more updates before summers out...we'll see where the journey takes us.**

 **Enough of my aimless rambling, let's jump straight into it!**

 **As always, Read & Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Dream Works or Kung Fu Panda. I only own this specific plot and my OCs.**

* * *

 **Chapter IX: The Forgotten Warrior**

 _The Spirit Realm_

The golden realm of peace was just as beautiful as Po had left it since the defeat of Kai—almost half a year ago. The comforting radiance of the realm was like a constant warmth of a living room fireplace. Not to mention the sweet smell of honey in the air…Po was probably too busy dealing with Kai to have noticed that initially. It was utopian to its very definition.

At the heart of the realm resided the island of the former Jade Palace grandmaster. The turtle was currently performing a series of Tai Chi movements with his brows furrowed in concentration. Furthermore, his body seemed to be covered in a unique glow. It wasn't the customary golden color of Chi, but a light blue aura.

A breeze gently shook the peach tree pedals, causing them to sprinkle down in a shower of gold and pink. Oogway was unperturbed at this and continued his proceedings. His concentration couldn't falter for something as delicate as this, not even for half a second.

The technique he was performing was called Chi sight. It was quite simple really. All that was required was that the users have a near unbreakable concentration and that they have a strong Chi connection with the universe.

Chi sight granted the ability to look across the different realms of the universe. Such an ability seemed nearly omnipotent at first until he learned of its restraints. Firstly, the user could only view realms they'd visited. Additionally, Chi sight couldn't be performed for extended periods of time with suffering severe consequences to both the physical and spiritual form. And lastly, Chi sight was unpredictable…very unpredictable.

Time in essence, is only constant within the parameters of its realm. Meaning, the timelines of each realm don't always travel parallel with one another.

What the user saw with Chi sight in another realm could be happening in the moment…or three days in the future…or a week in the past…or anything in between.

Oogway was currently checking up on the Jade palace. The vision in his mind presented a visual of the edifice. It was unscathed, nothing out of the ordinary. If one would have guessed, the Valley of Peace was in no danger. But Oogway knew all too well of what was coming.

Shifting his focus, the former grandmaster ventured hundreds of miles away to seek the panda village in the mountains. However, the closer to the village Oogway got, the dimmer his connection became. Eventually the visual in his mind faded to a complete blackness.

A small frown emerged upon the normally jovial turtle's face. Gritting his teeth, he upped his focus. Beads of sweat began to trail down the aged master's face. Seconds afterwards, a single drop of blood trickled down from Oogway's nose in result of his intense concentration.

Finally, Oogway broke through the mysterious mental barrier. Immediately, his nostrils were greeted with the repulsive smell of a familiar metallic odor…the smell of blood…it wasn't from his nose bleed.

Before him stood the demolished village that he had sought. The remaining structures were barely recognizable due to them being toppled over and half burnt to ash. However, the buildings weren't what caught the turtle's eye—the lifeless corpses that were littered across the area did. They were everywhere. The streets, which had once been full of festivity and joy…were covered with corpses. The snow covered plains, once a peaceful and lively setting…now dead and desolate, bodies scattered throughout. The springs, which had once been crystal clear and sparkling blue were tainted a sinful red…with panda blood. Oogway winced at the gruesome sight.

They'd been slaughtered. Viciously…mercilessly slaughtered.

Oogway immediately broke his concentration. His blue aura faded within the blink of an eye. Snapping his eyes open, the turtle gasped in horror. It had begun…Daemon had set his plan into motion.

The tiger had made his move. Now it was time for him to do the same. The chess game had begun…

His gaze hardening, Oogway began to march towards the edge of his island. Summoning his staff to his hand, the jade rod flew through the air before settling in the turtle's firm grasp.

Not wasting a second, Oogway then dug one of the ends of his staff into the earth below him, before launching himself at incredible speeds off into the distance. His light green figure was nothing more than a passing blur as the grandmaster covered hundreds of meters within a handful of seconds.

Nearing his destination, Oogway began to slow in speed before landing down onto the earth below him in dramatic fashion. A shockwave was emitted as the force of his touch down resulted in dust erupting everywhere.

Moments later, the turtle master exited the clouded of dust elegantly, leaving a sizable crater in his wake. A determined expression set on his aged face, Oogway continued his trek up a dirt path, towards a mid-sized dojo.

The building wasn't fancy, nor luxurious. However, it looked practical, not to mention well-made. It was a simple two-story wooden structure reinforced in some areas with plated steel, and set on a foundation of smooth stone. The first floor was a training center. And although not visible to Oogway, the second floor almost undoubtedly a living space. Additionally, either side of the dojo had a small garden, filled of a variety of crops. A distance in front of the house stood a towering wooden pillar, possible ten meters or so tall.

Atop the pillar was the figure of a male feline. . He was currently balancing himself upside-down with one arm, while quietly reading what appeared to be a book with the other. His athletic figure was not only quite visible, but justified as well, due to the ease at which the feline balanced himself.

Oogway simple strode over to the pillar, before smoothly yet forcefully thumping his staff against the structure. The strike sent an evident vibration through the pillar, causing the ground below him to tremble as well.

Seconds later, the sound of the figure screaming cut through the once silent atmosphere.

"Ahhhhh! Oomph!" the feline let out, before landing unceremoniously in a heap.

Grunting in slight pain, he rose from the ground. As the snow leopard dusted himself off, he gave the former grandmaster a slight look of annoyance.

"Y'know…when I told you to knock anytime…this wasn't what I meant," Tai Lung huffed, as he popped a few sore joints.

Shaking his head at the leopard's quip, Oogway looked him over. Tai Lung had long discarded his former royal purple pants in favor of a royal cobalt instead. In addition to the new pants, he'd also started to wear a white leather vest for extra protection. Not that the nearly-infallible warrior needed it.

"No time for joking Tai-Lung. You must prepare for your journey back to the mortal realm," Oogway ordered in a serious tone.

Tai-Lung gave him a questioning look as read the turtle master. Nodding his head in realization, the snow leopard sighed.

"Something happened?"

For the first time Oogway hesitated before speaking, "Possibly…Chi sight can be very erratic, but I pray to the gods that we aren't too late."

Tai-Lung grunted before turning and striding towards the dojo/house. Oogway just remained where he was. Sensing this, Tai-Lung turned back around, motioning for the turtle to follow.

Accepting the invitation, Oogway followed the former felon into the dojo and up the stairs into the snow leopard's room.

The turtle stood by the doorway, as Tai-Lung hastily packed a small duffel bag with several changes of clothes, as well as a pair of daggers and a compactible Bo staff. After the feline finished rummaging through his bag he closed it and strapped it to his side.

"So, what's the plan?" he asked, finally looking up to face the turtle.

Oogway drummed his claws along his jade staff in deep thought. Looking over to the snow leopard he sighed.

"I will send you back to the mortal-realm. First, you need to confirm whether or not the pandas are still alive. Once you have completed that, you must travel back to the valley to warn the Dragon Warrior and the Five of Daemon…assuming they don't know already," the turtle listed off emphatically.

Oogway then reached into his cloak, retrieving three medium sized golden coins. He then stored them in a small pouch before handing them to Tai-Lung. Examining the coins, the snow leopard gave the older master a questioning look.

"Master, I don't believe I'll need money. And even so, I don't believe this is enough to buy much of anything," he admitted in confusion.

Shaking his head, Oogway patiently explained, "Those aren't for spending Tai-Lung, they are coins for Chi conveyance."

"Chi con-what?"

Letting out a sigh, the wise master simplified, "They are imbued with my Chi. Toss one in a body of water and you'll be able to communicate with me for a short period of time."

A look of understanding flashed across Tai-Lung's face, "For how long?"

"A minute or two most-likely. But use them wisely…they are for emergencies only," Oogway warned.

Tai-Lung nodded in consideration before a question came to mind.

"Wait…how will I get back?" he questioned.

At this Oogway smiled sadly, "You won't…"

Tai-Lung's face fell. He opened his mouth to argue but Oogway held up his hand to stop him.

"Traveling to the Spirit Realm and back via the Wuxi-finger hold or other Chi methods is a one-time occurrence Tai-Lung. Why do you think Kai couldn't be sent back without Po having to transport himself here?" Oogway revealed calmly.

Tai-Lung was speechless. He couldn't come back? Not that this was world-ending news, but he'd grown accustomed to his new quiet life in the Spirit Realm as well as the dry humor of the former grandmaster. Not to mention his…somewhat questionable reputation back in China.

"So…I'll never see you again?" the snow leopard questioned, trying to mask his unease.

Oogway saw right through his guise, but didn't call him out on it. Tai-Lung had changed much since his encounter with the Dragon Warrior three years ago. After much meditation and years of solitude, the master of the thousand scrolls had come to the realization that he was content with his life—dragon scroll or no dragon scroll. All his hatred, venom, spite, malice…gone. His heart may not be as pure as Po's, but he'd come a long way from where he'd began. While Oogway hadn't admitted it aloud, there was no one he'd rather trust than the snow leopard for this mission.

"Well…I never said that," Oogway let out with a slight chuckle.

Tai-Lung gave him a questioning look.

"You can always return here naturally," the turtle teased. This caused the snow leopard to shudder slightly.

Tai-Lung put aside that thought for the moment…he didn't plan on dying anytime soon.

Quickly, the kung fu master stuffed the coin pouch into his sack. Securing the baggage around himself once again, Tai-Lung stood at attention in front of Oogway.

"I'm ready."

Nodding, Oogway began to perform several sweeping motions with his staff. Soon, a bright golden aura began to emerge in the air before encasing the snow leopard in a golden orb. The orb began to glow impossibly bright as Tai-Lung began to lose sight of the aged turtle master.

"More one question…What if I'm too late?" he asked the wise grandmaster, his form disappearing by the second.

Oogway's face changed from neutral to grim as he gave the snow leopard one final piece of advice.

"Then not even the gods themselves will be able to help you or China."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Tai-Lung let out sarcastically before the golden Chi atmosphere that surrounded him imploded. A wave of Chi dust spread throughout the area, not leaving a single trace of Tai-Lung. The feline was gone, off back to the mortal-realm.

The former grandmaster was left standing alone. After a moment of thought, he chided himself. In all the rush, he hadn't told Tai-Lung about the prophecy nor the elixir of immortals—both pieces of information were mission critical. All Tai-Lung knew was the basis of his mission and about Daemon. That could prove to be a huge mistake.

Oogway sighed. Well…hopefully he'd be able to tell Tai-Lung those vital details once the snow leopard contacted him with the Chi coins.

Oogway gave one final glance in the direction of Tai-Lung's dojo before heading off back to his own island.

"May lady-luck smile down upon you Tai-Lung."

* * *

Po really despised his luck…

Today was a Monday…and boy was it living up to its name.

Of **ALL** the days the Five could've chosen to take their little 'camping trip' and of **ALL** the days that bandits could have attacked it had to have been on the same day.

If that wasn't ludicrous enough, Po had to remind himself that there hadn't been a full scale bandit raid in **MONTHS!**

These were all the thoughts that were flying through the panda's head as he was struck across the face by a large war hammer.

Subsequently, the dazed panda was sent flying across the market into a furniture shop.

 _ **CRASH!**_

Po now lay inside the torn apart shop, covered in wood and pieces of broken furniture. Okay…that wasn't as painful as he'd imagined it would be. The only thing that was damaged was the Dragon Warrior's pride. Some lowly bandit had not only got past his guard, but bashed him in the face. That's twice he'd been clobbered in the face by a war hammer. This time was no less of a head ache than last time when the Wolf Boss had done it two years ago.

' **Hey! Look at the bright side! We found you a chair!'** Red offered with a snicker.

Po grumbled in irritation as he untangled himself from the mess of wood before swiftly exiting the shop. As he came out, he was faced with the dumb boar that had hammered him in the first place.

Smirking, the boar let loose another hellish swing. Fed up with the bandit's antics, Po forcefully caught the hammer. Prying it from the boar's grasp, Po hefted the hammer behind his shoulder. The boar bandit's face morphed from a look of arrogance to downright terror in under a second.

' **Our turn Porky!'**

Po then nailed the irksome bandit across the face, sending him flying off into the distance. Po's moment of victory was short lived as dozens of more bandits appeared around the corner. They were all armed with various weapons, and they were also giving him a bunch of murderous looks.

"How dare you hit Bruno with his own weapon! You will pay for your insolence with your life!" one of the bandits threatened in fury.

"I've never heard that one before," Po answered back sarcastically.

' **Porky had a name?'**

Po rolled his eyes before sending the hammer flying in the group's direction. Taken off guard by the action, only a few of the bandits managed to dodge the weapon. The rest of the bandit group wasn't so lucky. They were painfully flattened by the hammer throw as a result.

The half-dozen remaining bandits looked nervously at each other as they eyed the majority of their downed reinforcements.

Taking advantage of his attack's distraction, the panda leapt over to the remainder of the group. He quickly jabbed his elbow into the back on one of the felons, sending him to the ground. Seconds after, Po leg swept another bandit, causing him to tumble backwards. Instantaneously, Po seized the thug's ankle before flinging him into an incoming bandit.

That left only three bandits left. Po swiftly dodged an incoming sword swipe that had been aimed for his neck. He felt the blade whistle past his ear by no more an inch. Quickly, he hit the sword-bandit in the throat, the force behind the strike collapsed the mammal's windpipe and caused him to fall to the ground, convulsing, as he choked for air. Not missing a beat, Po quickly spun back around and lashed his leg out at the felon behind him. His heel made solid contact with the temple of his opponents head, dropping him like a sack of potatoes.

The final criminal watched his compatriots fall in apparent fear. Not wasting a second, the wolf charged forward and swung his staff towards the Dragon Warrior in a desperate swipe. Po easily caught the blow, and wrenched the weapon from his enemy's grasp.

"No more playing around," the panda growled as he snapped the solid wood staff over his knee as if it were a toothpick.

Tossing the two pieces of wood aside, Po strode forward towards the backpedaling wolf. He forcefully gripped the struggling villain's collar, raising high in the air.

"It's over you lost," Po stated firmly.

A gleam in the wolf's eye appeared as his fearful expression morphed into one of satisfaction. He began to cackle loudly as his body trembled in laughter. This was not something Po had expected. Didn't the bad guys usually sulk after their defeat?

"What's so funny?" Po grumbled shaking the felon.

It took nearly a minute before the wolf could catch his breath. After calming down substantially, the bandit gave the Dragon Warrior a grin.

"Your death will be the news of China! You downfall will be the feat of the century! By the order of Lord Daemon, WE SHALL BATHE THE STREETS IN YOUR BLOOD!" he proclaimed loudly into the panda's face.

Po gave the wolf a confused look as he read his expression. The wolf wasn't lying…he was completely serious. Delusional maybe…but not a liar. Who was Daemon? After seconds of thought, Po recalled his conversation with Shifu weeks prior.

This must be what the grandmaster had been talking about! All the criminals had been assembling under one united leader…this Daemon character.

If that theory held true, this criminal syndicate had the potential to become unstoppable. Not the Emperor, nor the Imperial Forces or even the kung fu masters in all of China would be enough to stop this…

Po cleared his mind…maybe he was overthinking. Maybe this wolf was just trying to get into his head.

"You're bluffing," Po challenged, narrowing his eyes at the bandit.

Shaking his head with a smirk, the wolf replied, "You have already been defeated Dragon Warrior. I can only hope to land the killing blow."

' **Oh yeah? You and what army?'** Red goaded with a slight laugh.

As if on cue, dozens and dozens of bandits began to emerge. They appeared along the rooftops, slunk out of the shadows, crept out from a number of hiding places; surrounding the Dragon Warrior. Po dropped the cackling wolf from his grasp as he spun his head around to analyze the situation. There were possibly sixty bandits in total, completely encircling him…it was a trap…it always had been.

To make matters worse, the horizon began to darken despite the ever rising sun. From far away, the dark line looked nothing more than a growing shadow. However, upon further inspection, Po's heart fell. Squinting his eyes, the panda made out a horde of bandits, possible a hundred if not more, emerging along the edge of the valley.

' **Oh…that army,'** Red mumbled, for the first time a hint of fear in his normally confident voice.

Po grimaced as he scanned his surroundings. He was outnumbered, out-gunned, and most annoyingly…out planned. How had he not seen this coming? Heck! He'd just studied battle and military tactics in Scroll 1999—which made this failure on his part even more obnoxious.

This wasn't even that complicated of a ploy compared to hundreds of other more elaborate schemes. It was a typical bait, feint, retreat, and encompass tactic. Best used when you have a larger military force up against a smaller better trained opponent.

The key elements to this tactic were establishing key strategic positions, a.k.a encircling the opponent and obtaining the high ground (the roofs). This, along with taking advantage of the opponent's mistakes and utilizing the element of surprise yielded simple yet effective results as Po was all too familiar with at the moment.

Po glanced around at his opposition, sighing. He was thankful that he'd evacuated the village before things had gotten too messy. This was going to be tough…very tough. The Dragon Warrior clenched his fists before entering his fighting stance. Hopefully, he could hold off these guys until backup came in the form of the Furious Five.

' **IF backup comes,'** Red put in helpfully.

"What the heck are they doing anyway?" Po grumbled aloud before the wave of criminals closed in.

* * *

 _Shuijing Tiantang Springs_

 _20 miles from the Valley_

"This place is the bomb!"

Saber was many things…easily impressed was **totally** one of them. The optimistic tiger could see the potential of fun in just about everything. In result, he'd pretty much fallen in love with the springs…not that anyone could blame him.

He and the Five had arrived at the springs a mere few hours ago and were currently soaking in the heavenly heat of the crystal clear pools. Nothing could've made this better. It was as if the gods had personally taken upon themselves to make everything perfect.

The weather was as good as it ever had been. It was quite frigid out, but the mix of cold of the air and heat from the natural springs was a blissful combination. Not to mention the glowing presence of the sun provided a subtle yet delightful hint of warmth from its tantalizing rays.

Additionally, the springs themselves were impeccable as well. Some days, the springs were an uncomfortable scolding hot. Other days, the springs felt as if they weren't even warm. And various days, the springs lacked the luxury of jet bubbles that helped massage kinks out of the kung fu master's sore muscles and joints. However, today the springs were flawless. Temperature-wise, the heat of the water was divine; not luke-warm but not boiling hot…just right. And the springs were even considerate enough today to have a constant stream of bubbles that fizzed to the surface.

Currently, each of the five was basking in the splendor of relaxation. Viper had just slithered out of the water and was now coiled atop the surface of the stone ground, absorbing the rays of sunlight. Mantis and Monkey were having a splash war in an isolated pool of water, their disturbance of the peace was lessened by their separation from the main body of the springs. Crane was resting under one of the few trees while reading a book, a peaceful expression adorning his face.

Lastly, the two tigers were relishing in the warmth of the springs. Saber was angled over a crevice in the pool which was releasing a stream of bubbles. The jets massaged his tensed joints and muscles like a charm.

Tigress meanwhile, sat neck deep in the bubbling water, a sleeping mask shielding her eyes from the bright sun rays. She seemed to be asleep, taking a cat-nap. However, unbeknownst to any of the others, her thoughts were in a whirlwind. Tigress had been dealing with a number of thoughts for the past few weeks and feelings…emotions.

The feline smiled wryly at this. **She** was contemplating her emotions and feelings…the hardcore, non-feeling, cold-hearted kung fu master…among other things.

Naturally, Shifu would have been the ideal candidate for her to talk with. These past few years, especially after Kai, the red-panda had begun to offer a different type of guidance towards her…fatherly guidance.

It had just been a couple months after Po and the others had gotten back from the panda village…

 _ ***Flashback***_

 _A bead of sweat ran down Po's face as he helped Tigress and some of the other workers stabilize one of the new pillars that were being erected in the newly rebuilt Hall of Heroes. He hadn't been here for its destruction, but he certainly was here for its reconstruction. Releasing his hold on the jade and marble pillar, the Dragon Warrior wiped the sweat off his face._

 _It'd been quite the hassle rebuilding the palace and restoring the kung fu scrolls and artifacts. It would have been practically insurmountable, had it not been for the help of a certain royal figure. Thankfully, their heroics…well mostly Po's…hadn't been overlooked._

 _Immediately after the defeat of Kai, the emperor himself had personally transferred a considerable portion of wealth to not only the reconstruction of the palace, but to the kung fu master's themselves. The emperor, a royal red peacock in his late fifties, had been somewhat guilty for the lack of support given to the noble masters of the Jade Palace a few years prior when Gongmen City had been taken over by his very own nephew. After Shen's defeat, he'd held a parade in their honor, but considering what they'd done for him and China, a simple parade had seemed unfit. This time, the emperor had no plans of leaving the Jade Palace masters empty-handed. A blank check was issued to them for the reconstruction of the palace grounds, and each warriors had been transferred a hefty sum of one-hundred thousand yuan aside from Po. This amount wasn't quite enough to retire on, but it was very generous nonetheless. However, the Dragon Warrior, being a chief contributor to the end of Kai, had been gifted enough money to be labeled one of the wealthiest in the entire nation. As one could suspect, Po had given millions of his awarded sum to charity, storing a modest amount into the bank system—a little under a million yuan. Yes…he was a rich panda. But, he hadn't told anyone that…aside from Shifu and his Dad. He knew both of them could keep a secret and not spill it to the others. Besides, Po wasn't the type to flaunt wealth in other people's faces. He'd grown up poor and he knew from experience how flaunted wealth could tick people off._

 _He also didn't need another reason for his friends, townsfolk, and girls…especially girls, to try to kiss up to him. It was already hard enough to meet genuine people with his fame and status. If his wealth became common knowledge, he'd never meet another genuine person again._

 _Po was brought out of his thoughts by an orange and black striped hand waving in front of his face._

" _You in there Po?" Tigress asked in an amused manner._

 _Snapping his attention away from his thoughts he gave the feline a cheeky grin._

" _Yeah, I was just thinking…" he returned._

 _Tigress smirked at him, "That's never a good sign."_

' _ **Ha! She got you good!'**_ _Red guffawed._

 _Po met here gaze as his eyes narrowed. Tigress returned his glare with a look of innocence. After a few seconds of silence—albeit Red's laughing—Po huffed sourly, crossing his arms like a five-year old._

" _You've been hanging around Monkey and Mantis too much," he scowled halfheartedly._

 _Tigress was trying in vain to uphold a neutral expression but it soon failed. A smile emerged upon her features, and she seemed to be struggling to hold in a fit of laughter before a voice cut in from behind them._

" _I hope I'm not interrupting something."_

 _Turning around, the duo was met with the wise gaze of the grandmaster. In his hand, he held the jade green staff that Po had given him. He was quite fond of it. Scratching the back of his neck, Po shook his head, "No you weren't interrupting master. Did you need something?"_

 _Shifu's gaze traveled from Po to Tigress, then back again._

" _I would like to speak with Tigress in private for a moment."_

 _Po glanced over to Tigress. She looked back at him and gave the bear a shrug. Po looked back to the red-panda with an understanding look. Oh! A family talk…got it. Po tried to play it off cool…his attempt was anything but._

" _Of course Shifu…I'll just go and help…those guys over there!" he said in an obvious tone before giving the grandmaster a noticeable wink. He soon rushed off to help a few workers remove some wreckage from the other side of the hall._

 _Shifu buried his face into his hands, while Tigress just amusedly rolled her eyes at the panda's antics._

" _Come…I have much to speak with you about," the grandmaster told the feline master before making his way out of the hall._

 _Raising an eyebrow in interest, Tigress followed him out. As the two traversed the grounds, it became more and more obvious where Shifu was heading as time wore on…the peach tree._

 _Minutes later, the duo had finished ascending the stone steps. They were now at the feet of the beautiful tree that had become a staple in their life at the Jade Palace._

 _Shifu crouched down into a lotus pose and gestured for Tigress to sit before him. She obliged and found herself in sitting face to face with her fath…master._

 _Reaching forward, Shifu took hold of the feline's hand in a comforting gesture. Tigress unused to this type of action from her master flinched slightly. It was almost unnoticeable, but in the eyes of a trained master in was quite obvious. Shifu felt himself sadden at this._

' _Just what have I put you through make you this way Tigress?' Shifu thought with extreme guilt._

 _He had been a horrible parent. Never once showing the compassion, concern, or pride the way a father should._

" _I'm sorry."_

 _Tigress was taken aback by this. She assumed he'd brought her up here to discuss the future of the Jade Palace or even the financial matters of reconstructing the edifice. But this talk seemed to be leaning more towards the emotional spectrum…one of the few things she hadn't mastered or was even remotely good at._

" _What for master?" she asked, quite befuddled due to his abrupt apology._

 _Shifu sighed as he gripped her paw tighter in between his own. This was it…this was the moment where he'd not only apologize for his utter failure as a father, but also open up towards his student…no…his daughter._

" _Tigress, when I first adopted Tai-Lung I wasn't sure about anything…not about parenting or even about training him. But as time went on, I began to enjoy being a father. He filled me with pride and…I let him down," he stated glumly._

 _Tigress's temper flared at his words. But not for the reason one would think. Master Shifu had given everything to Tai-Lung. Love…encouragement…pride…guidance…_ _ **EVERYTHING**_ _that she'd craved for the first decade of her life. And what did he do? He threw it all away because he didn't get that stupid Dragon Scroll! He took everything that Shifu had given him and thrown it out the window. That ungrateful spoiled brat had taken what Tigress cherished the most, all for granted!_

" _You did nothing of the sort master! He took your love and affection and spat all over it! If anything HE let YOU down!" Tigress came to her master's defense vehemently._

 _Shifu looked back at his daughter in shock. After all he done and after all the neglect he'd put her through…she was still as loyal as ever. Shifu squeezed her hand in reassurance, causing the feline to meet his eyes once more._

" _For a long time I was blinded by my first experience as a parent. And of everyone…you had to suffer for it Tigress. Whether or not I let Tai-Lung down…there is NO question that I have completely and utterly let you down, daughter. And I'm sorry," he finished while keenly observing his daughter's reaction._

 _Tigress was for the most part…speechless. She couldn't believe what her mast…father had just told her. Part of her wanted to jump for joy; this was what she'd always wanted! However, the other part of her felt a bubbling rage that he'd waited this long to even attempt an olive branch. While Tigress had trained to maintain a cool persona throughout her years at the Jade Palace, she, like most felines, was hot-blooded to the core. Normally, Tigress's training would prevent her from allowing her emotions to get the better of her. But after all that had happened and now Shifu's confession, her mind was a mess. Her thoughts were in a whirlwind of chaos. And for once, she let her anger show through…_

 _An almost feral-like snarl emerged upon the feline's face as she swiftly jerked her paw out of Shifu's grasp. She stamped over to the edge of the peach tree cliff._

" _This is your big confession? Well forgive me for my reaction maste…_ _ **BUT YOU'RE TEN YEARS TOO LATE!**_ _" she all but screamed the last sentence._

 _Shifu winced at her response. Even with her back to him, he could feel the heated anger rolling off the tiger in waves. Maybe he_ _ **should**_ _have brought Po along…the panda was normally the pacifist of the group._

" _I spent years of my life doing nothing but to gain your favor and for what? I was never good enough! I was too slow! Too weak! Too imperfect! I was never up to your standard! I was never as good as your favorite son!" Tigress spat, finally turning to face her master._

 _Shifu felt even more rotten as she turned to face him. In all his years of raising and training her she had cried twice, both times had been before she'd been nothing more than a child. And now, her she was over a decade later. She had grown to become a beautiful and elegant woman, entering her mid-twenties and tears were slowly streaming down her face._

" _You're wrong Tigress," he stated gently._

 _The feline's expression morphed from a mix between hatred and distress to a look of pure lassitude._

" _Right…because I'm never correct am I? I'm always a failure no matter what I do?" she let out with a sigh, her anger dissolving away._

 _Shifu saw her reaction and quieted himself. He'd have to pick his next words very carefully. What he said next could either make or break the relationship with his daughter completely._

" _No…you excel at whatever you try Tigress, you have done in the past and will continue to do so in the future. But you ARE wrong about one thing. Tai-Lung may have been my first but he was surpassed as my favorite many years ago…Tigress you are my favorite and I'm sorry I didn't express it sooner," Shifu confessed._

 _Tigress froze at this. She scanned Shifu's eyes for deceit or lies…there were none. And for the first time in her life, the feline felt relief. Tigress felt as if a huge weight had been taken off her shoulders. She couldn't imagine what this meant…should she call him master or father…would their relationship stay the same or would it be different? Her emotions and thoughts were running amuck in the disordered mess that was her brain at the moment._

 _Shifu, seeing the blank face of his daughter, assumed that their conversation had come to an end. Sighing, Shifu picked up his jade staff and rose to his feet._

" _For what it's worth…I'm truly sorry Tigress. I understand if you'd rather not want me as a father. I'll leave you to your privacy," he admitted, with a droop of his ears before moving to take his leave. He was almost to the steps before he was stopped by a single word._

" _Why?"_

 _He froze in midstride before turning back around to face his daughter. She stood there timidly with a reserved…dare he say…hopeful look upon her face._

" _I almost lost you Tigress. Kai was the closest I've ever been to losing you…and…I never want to have that feeling again, especially before I've had the chance to become an actual father," he answered honestly._

 _At this statement Tigress tensed before rushing at blinding speed towards the grandmaster. Assuming he'd overstepped his bounds, Shifu closed his eyes, awaiting the almost certain slap across his face._

 _He was surprised when instead of a stinging pain, he was immersed in the warm fur that was his daughter. He tensed for a moment, not knowing what to do, before his parenting instincts kicked in and he returned the hug with full force._

" _I love you dad," Tigress mumbled her voice catching a bit in her throat._

" _And I love you, my daughter," he returned his gravelly voice holding a loving tone that Tigress had never heard before…she didn't mind._

 _ ***End of Flashback***_

If someone had told her that she would be in an extremely close father-daughter relationship with master Shifu a year ago…she would have sent them to a mental asylum in hopes of curing them of such irrational delusions.

Even now, it was hard to believe how far they'd gone, from the distant student-master relationship to her having personal talks with him about her feelings.

Much to her dismay, Shifu was out of town and it looked like he wasn't returning any time soon. She'd have to ask Po again when her father was coming back. But that was beside the point; she needed someone to talk to about her feelings for a certain black and white warrior…well…both of them actually.

After much contemplation she'd settled on Viper as her confidant. She wouldn't dare talk about this with another guy aside from Shifu. And Viper seemed to enjoy all the love and relationship jazz.

After much thought, Tigress stopped herself. Why was she stressing over these thoughts? She was supposed to be relaxing and having a goodtime in the springs with her friends and yet here she was immersing herself in stressful thoughts rather than the spring water. Saber was right, she really need to let herself down a notch…a few notches.

Nodding to herself in resolve, Tigress shoved aside all thoughts except how good the heated water felt against her fur. It was nice not to stress over things for once. Dare she say it, she could get used to this. Slowly but surely, all the tension was released from the feline as she napped in the lovely waters of the springs. It was peaceful…perfect. But as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end.

Thirty minutes into her nap she was awaken rudely by a huge splash.

"Cannonball!"

The wave of water that resulted from this absolutely soaked the formerly peaceful female tiger. Tigress grumbled to herself as she peeled of her now ruined sleeping mask, soaked in spring water.

Glancing irately over to the golden langur that'd splashed her, he gave the feline a small grin in apology. Tigress, instead of her normal death-stare, gave Monkey a feral-grin. To say it was an improvement would have been a stretch. In fact, the smile probably scared him more than her stare did.

"Welp! Now you're in for it!" Mantis quipped from across the spring.

Before Monkey could respond, a huge wave of spring water courtesy of Tigress, blasted him in the face causing him to flip upside-down under the water.

Seconds later, he emerged gasping for air. If that wasn't enough, water was spraying out form his nostrils after going down the wrong pipe.

"Oops! My bad," Tigress returned with an innocent smile.

Monkey's eyes narrowed as he stared back at the feline before a wicked grin spread across his soaked face, "Mantis I need back up!"

Mantis, the ever faithful companion of his ape friend, skipped over onto Monkey's shoulder. They both gave the female master confident looks as they readied themselves.

"You picked the wrong fight Tigress. We are the water fight champions!" Monkey gloated.

Unfazed by this, Tigress playfully called out, "Viper get over here! We need to teach these boys a lesson!"

Viper, who'd been bathing in the sun, looked up in surprise as her normally stoic sister called her over. Not a moment later, Viper slithered at unrivalled speed before diving into the water to join Tigress.

"Crane come join it'll be fun!" the serpent enthused, throwing Monkey and Mantis an evil smile.

Crane just gave the others a disinterested look as he flipped another page in his book.

"No thank you, I'm perfectly glad to read this novel and stay nice and dry," he returned in a dull voice, entranced by the book in his hands.

"I'll fix that!" Mantis exclaimed with a cackle before sending a moderate wave of spring water towards the bird. Soaking both Crane and his book from head to toe, his reaction was priceless.

"You little fiend! I was just getting to the good part!" Crane squawked in anger, before a sinister look appeared on his face.

He quickly swan dove into the springs and emerged side by side with Tigress and Viper. The girls now had an extra player…

Monkey and Mantis looked at each other in dismay. Now they were out-numbered.

"I'm going to enjoy drowning both of you! Wings of Water!" Crane laughed evilly before utilizing his Wings of Justice technique. However instead of a huge gust of wind, it resulted in a monumental wave of water towards the terrified duo. Monkey and Mantis could do nothing as the huge wave crashed down onto them, burying them in hundreds of gallons of water.

Half a minute after the water settled, the two tricksters emerged on the surface gasping for air.

"I'm glad you're on our side," Viper said giddily causing Crane to blush at the compliment.

Recovering from the tremendous assault, Monkey and Mantis were both red in the face. It wasn't clear if their hotly colored cheeks were from embarrassment or lack of oxygen…maybe both.

"This is War!" Mantis bellowed as him and Monkey prepared for an assault of their own.

"Wait! Quiet!" a voice exclaimed.

Everyone turned to look at Saber who'd been abnormally quiet throughout the affair. He had pushed himself onto a ledge in the springs and was now only knee deep in the water. His ears were perked up as he listened intently.

"Do you guys here…bells?" he asked in slight confusion, with a hint of worry.

The others gave him a questioning look before listening themselves.

"I don't hear anything," Monkey finally let out, with Mantis nodding in agreement. However, after dealing with Crane's tidal wave, their ears would probably have been water-logged to the point of near deafness.

Crane and Viper both shook their heads in answer to the white tiger's question.

Saber could have sworn there was the sound of bells…alarm bells?

"Wait! What if your village is under attack…like alarm bells!" he realized in shock.

Tigress had been straining her ears, but to her knowledge there were no sounds of bells. Maybe not…she could hear the faint hum of a sound in the distance, but that could have been anything.

Tigress began to worry. What if the village was being attack? What if-

She stopped herself. This was supposed to be THEIR day of relaxation, and now she was letting her paranoia get the best of her. Heck! Saber was the last person who she expected to be so uptight about something during their relaxation time.

Nodding, Tigress came to a conclusion. There was no way a bandit attack was happening because, the chances of it happening were so low. I mean…they hadn't had a bandit attack in almost half a year! No…today was her day of relaxation and she wasn't going to let any worries get in the way of that.

Yet, there was a small voice in the back of her head that told her she was taking a risk…but as she continued to think, the voice grew smaller and less significant.

"I don't think there's anything to worry about Saber. We haven't dealt with bandits in months," Tigress responded evenly.

Saber still looked unconvinced, "But what if there IS a bandit raid happening…Po could be in trouble! And-"

Tigress cut him off, "Stop worrying worry-wart! I thought you were supposed to be the laid back one?"

Saber looked indignant at the slight taunt from his tiger counterpart. He was about to respond before Tigress cut him off yet again.

"I know how to fix this," she offered with a slight smile.

As per usual, Saber's curiosity got the better of him yet again.

"Yeah? How-"

He was cut off as a wave of spring water was blasted into his face. It left him soaked and most of all, quite irked. Wiping his eyes, he turned his gaze back to the feline that drenched him.

Tigress looked back at him with a devilish smirk. A water fight of tremendous proportions commenced soon afterwards.

As they continued to splash each other with water like a bunch of adolescents, Tigress's mind went back to Saber's worries before she dismissed them.

There was NOT a bandit raid…And even if there WAS one…Po could handle it.

…

Po could definitely handle it.

* * *

Po was NOT handling this bandit raid very well.

To be fair, he was quite pleased with himself at the moment. Initially, he thought he wouldn't have lasted even ten minutes against the sheer numbers of felons that swarmed towards him. However, both to his surprise and the bandits', he had been keeping them at bay for over half an hour at this point. All that studying he'd done over the past few weeks had really come in handy. Po hated to think how much more difficult this task would've been, if not for the dozens of new fighting styles and techniques he'd learnt from the scrolls. However, even the mighty Dragon Warrior was not invincible.

As the waves of villains dragged on, he began to tire at a steady rate. If not for his endurance training these past several months, he would have been overwhelmed a long time ago.

Even now, his actions and reflexes were waning and decreasing at an alarming speed. Po realized this as another bandit, among the dozens he'd faced, rushed forward and delivered a sloppy yet vicious slice with his katana. Had he been in his usual peak condition, Po would've perceived the attack almost immediately and easily side-step the swipe as if it'd been child's play. Unfortunately, Po wasn't in peak condition at the moment. And his condition would've been a whole lot worse had he noticed the attack even a split-second later. Narrowly dodging the blade, Po felt the razor metal shave a bit of fur off his ear. Thankfully, his fur was the only thing that'd been damaged. Po sighed in relief before disarming the bandit and hammering his fist into the wolf's sternum, dropping him to the ground. Po quickly reached up a felt his ear, which had a substantial chunk of fur missing. He'd been milliseconds away from having his head cleaved from his shoulders.

Not wasting a second, Po ducked under a spear that'd been aimed for his neck and jabbed his attacker in the ribs, effectively winding him. Quickly, Po gripped the felon's ankles before twirling him in a circle several times, knocking down another wave of bandits that surrounded the panda.

Looking up, for the first time in the entire fight, Po felt a surge of hope injected into his veins. The seemly endless number of bandits was thinning out and now he was only facing about…fifty…give or take several dozen.

Oh! Who was he kidding? He couldn't continue on like this! He was completely exhausted to the point where he had to manually force himself to stand up on two legs. His bones hurt, muscles that he didn't even knew he had hurt, his joints ached…EVERYTHING hurt! He'd been damn lucky to have disposed of roughly a hundred of the bandits, but his tank was running on empty.

Heck! Even standing here was exhausting! The adrenaline from the fight was wearing off and he was fighting to keep his eyelids from drooping.

Then, an instant of realization struck him like a splash of cold water to the face…Boy he wished a splash of cold water had actually splashed him in the face…he needed it. He also needed some food…peaches…bean buns. And also sleep…yeah sleep sounded good! Maybe a trip back to Su and Sister's Spa and massage?

'Focus Po!' he chided himself.

Back to the point…all the bandits had stopped their assault. The horde of criminals stood ten or so meters away, yet they hadn't moved a muscle. Confused, Po was about to speak out until the group of criminals parted ways revealing a path.

Raising his eyebrow, Po was about to ask what they were doing until a hulking figure trudged down the opened path between the criminals. They were all cheering him on as he made his way in the direction of the panda.

He was a tall, heavily muscled, silverback gorilla with a scar tracing from his right eye across his face to his left cheekbone. Po had to admit, the ape wasn't the prettiest flower in the garden…and the scar certainly didn't help.

Almost as if reading the Dragon Warrior's thoughts, the gorilla's face morphed into a feral snarl as he gripped his weapon of choice. It was a hybrid between a hammer and an ax. The weapon's head was constructed of steel with a solid oak handle that the gorilla gripped tightly in his hands. It looked to be well over a hundred pounds. What concerned Po was the ease at which the ape handled the weapon, as if it were as light as a feather.

However, not one to back down from a challenge, Po stood his ground and maintained eye-contact with the bandit.

As if sensing the Dragon Warrior's defiance, the hulking bandit roared at him as he slowly drew closer to Po whilst hammering his weapon against the ground several times, each time causing a large tremor to shake the earth under-foot.

Po wasn't one to be scared of something…but he definitely wouldn't call this **thing** a comfort. Pushing aside any negative thoughts, Po quickly analyzed the ape.

' **Alright let's see what we have here…Ok**

 **Strengths: He's strong…probably enough to rip you in half if he gets a hold of you. He's also fast and quick on his feet,** ' Red began.

Po raised an eye-brow…the gorilla looked about as fast as a snail…and about a quick as a sloth.

' **He seems to be very comfortable with that flag pole he calls a weapon. Avoid his over-head blow otherwise he'll turn you into a…panda-cake…haha! That was a good one!'** Red trailed off in laughter.

"Focus moron," Po mumbled out the side of his mouth in irritation. Red continued to laugh for the few precious seconds that Po had left, as the ape drew closer and closer. Finally quieting his laughter, Red cleared his throat before humming thoughtfully.

' **Anyways…weaknesses?**

 **He's got a blind-spot on his right-hand side, his eye was damaged whenever he received that scar…Try and disarm him…that weapon will give us trouble…You're tired so don't drag this out…you've got to finish this quick or it's game over,'** the voice finished.

Po nodded and kept that piece of information for later as the giant stepped up to him.

Po instantly realized how much bigger the ape was up close. Now, Po was no runt. He wasn't super tall of course but he stood at a modest six-foot. This huge gorilla towered over Po by at least a good foot if not more. He even made the gorillas that had been working for Shen look like runts. And for a rare occurrence, Po had neither a weight nor strength advantage.

…

This was going to be tough.

The gorilla looked down at the Dragon Warrior with slight contempt…almost in a way that an adult would give a child if the child had misbehaved.

Po looked back at him, craning his neck to look the gorilla in the eye.

"You're big…" Po let out dumbly.

The gorilla looked rather pleased with the panda's assessment, even going as far as to hold a rather proud look upon his ugly face. However, Po's next words wiped the smug look off the bandit's face, replacing it with a look of violence.

"I've fought bigger…" Po let out shrugging his shoulders with a quirk of his lips.

Not pleased with the panda's words the gorilla snarled, "I will crush you!"

' **So it can talk!'** Red joked.

Po was about to tell Red to shut up before the bandit brought his weapon down in an overhead strike, intending to flatten the mouthy Dragon Warrior.

Po narrowly dodged the attack by jumping backwards a few meters. A cloud of dust erupted from the force of the attack. Po looked rather hesitant as he observed the small crater that'd formed from the weapon's impact… in the spot where he'd been seconds prior. A split second later, the gorilla zipped out of the cloud of dust at surprising speed before bringing the hammer-side of his weapon in a backhand blow against Po's leg.

 _ **Crunch!**_

Po's leg let out a sickening sound as the metal weapon crushed his femur bone.

Yelping in agony, Po swiftly struck the gorilla in the nose before quickly following up with a double ear clap, causing the giant to back up whilst trying to shake off his distortion.

This gave Po a few precious seconds to recover and examine his leg. Looking down, Po winced at the sight. Although it wasn't something too severe, his leg was definitely broken…possibly in multiple places. Currently his foot was jutting at an unnatural angle. Grunting, Po reset the bone, yelping again from the jolt of pain.

Looking back up, he saw that the gorilla was advancing once more. That bastard was deceivingly fast.

' **Told you so!'** Red taunted.

Po shook his head in annoyance…enough was enough! No more playing around!

That overgrown monkey wants a fight…he's got one.

Taking the initiative, Po charged forward towards the bandit. Surprised at the sudden change in tactics, the gorilla let out a horizontal swipe at the bear. Evading the predictable strike, Po slipped under the gorilla's guard and delivered several haymakers into the ape's ribcage. The sound of several satisfying cracks resulted in Po's attack. He'd broken at least three ribs, if not more.

Quickly, Po dodged the gorilla's arms which had tried to get a hold of him before back flipping out of the bandit's reach.

Not wasting a second, Po quickly sped forward once more hitting several pressure points along the gorilla's left arm immobilizing it.

Angered by the panda's stubbornness, the giant tried to deliver a punch of his own until he realized that he couldn't move his left arm. Taking advantage of his distraction, Po took hold of the gorilla's right arm. Using his entire body-weight, Po bent the gorilla's right elbow before dislocating it, causing the villain to drop his hammer ax.

"Arghhh!" the gorilla bellowed in pain.

Falling into Po's hand, the panda heaved the weighty weapon onto his shoulder before kicking the ape's kneecaps, causing his legs to buckle underneath him. The criminal was almost completely immobilized and was now at the Dragon Warrior's mercy.

Po narrowed his eyes at the ape in a threatening gesture.

"Who is your master? What does he want?" Po growled at the gorilla.

Smirking at him the criminal responded with a pained laugh, "He is someone who wants to bring order to China…to bring forth a Golden Age!"

Po was confused by this. Golden Age? So many thoughts plagued the bear, but he had so many questions that still needed to be answered.

"Daemon right? What does he want with me? Or the Valley of Peace?" Po demanded vehemently.

The gorilla just smirked. He was enjoying this. He hadn't been defeated by an opponent in a long time. It'd been even longer since someone aside from Daemon had the guts to question him like this.

"You have quite the reputation Dragon Warrior. You've caught the eye of my master…you should be honored really. However, I have nothing more to tell you. Kill me. I'd never want to return to my master after failure," the gorilla all but ordered the Dragon Warrior.

Po shook his head. He wasn't going to kill the bandit…he had too many questions left unanswered…to many gaps in the puzzle that he was trying to solve.

Seeing the Dragon Warrior's refusal, the gorilla inwardly smirked. He may not look the brightest, but he was quite the manipulator, credit to Daemon's training.

"Kill me Dragon Warrior…don't show me mercy…Heaven knows Daemon won't show the same courtesy to your friends," he taunted.

"Shut up," Po demanded in his calmest voice, but in was obvious that the gorilla was getting to him.

"Hell! He's probably killed Shifu and your panda brethren by now," he taunted.

"You're lying," Po growled his anger.

The gorilla hide his growing smirk, the panda was losing it.

"He'll torture them and your goose dad. One by one…every second of the rest of their days they'll beg him to finally end them," the gorilla continued, his smirk finally coming out into display.

In truth, the bandit was exaggerating. He was one of Daemon's inner circle, and he knew that despite the rumors, Daemon was not one to torture and certainly not as sadistic as he was made out to be. However, the panda didn't know that.

"You better watch your next words very carefully," Po warned, deathly calm.

"Your friends will be left without hope and dignity…especially his dau-" the gorilla hesitated, cursing himself as he nearly gave away critical information to the panda. Looking up, he sighed in relief. The panda was so immersed in his own rage that he hadn't even caught the bandit's slip-up.

"However…Master Tigress has also caught my master's attention. I've heard that my master has special plans for her. After-all, his army needs to be paid after this is all done and some of them seek something more…exotic than riches," he chuckled at the panda.

Po was now visibly shaking in rage. How dare this piece of scum even insinuate such a disguting-

"I'm sure Master Tigress will supply the means of payment that others in the army require…who knows? Maybe she'll enjoy it-"

' **Alright enough of this!'** Red snapped, even **he** had reached his limit on such unholy thoughts.

Po's self-control finally snapped as he gripped the gorilla's weapon in both hands and let loose a hellish overhead strike with a snarl, cleaving the gorilla down the middle and leaving the weapons buried halfway in the ape's midsection. Blood began to pool around the giant's lifeless body as the big guy buckled over, the force of his collapse causing the earth below to tremor.

The last thing the bandit saw was the serene jade-green eyes of the Dragon Warrior morph into a malevolent blood-red before darkness overtook him.

Po stood up to his full height, heaving in deep breaths before snapping his steely gaze to the group of horrified bandits.

They'd never witnessed such a display of frightening skill and ruthlessness that the bear had just demonstrated. He'd ripped apart their toughest and strongest comrade as if he'd been made out of straw. They all looked from the red-eyed panda to their mutilated leader and back to the former before they retreated like the rats they were.

Their forms disappeared in the distance as they retreated away from the haunting being that was the Dragon Warrior.

Po was somewhat surprised at this, not to mention relieved. His muscles were screaming in protest at the prospect of standing up, forget another fight. He didn't think he could take on another five bandits…much less fifty…

' **Maybe next time we should start with the Big One?'** Red mused.

Silently agreeing, Po stood there alone amongst the littered bodies of dozens and dozens of bandits that lay on the streets. Some dead…some unconscious…but all defeated. His eyes drifted back over to the cleaved-in-half form of the gorilla. He grimaced at his handiwork. Now that he'd cooled down enough…that probably wasn't the best move. Scratch that…that was a horrible move.

He was the Dragon Warrior for Heaven sakes! Killing was at times necessary, whether in self-defense or in the heat of combat…but he'd justice committed murder…in cold blood. The gorilla was defenseless. He was immobilized at best…and he'd taken his life. What would Shifu think? What would the others think? What would his dad think?

The Dragon Warrior was supposed to be a role-model for young and old alike. HE set the example…HE set the precedent…And if not then…what was he?

It had all happened so fast. But that cursed gorilla had gotten in his head. His threats…about friends, family, Shifu, the Five…they had made him livid…but the moment the criminal had brought up Tigress…he just…snapped. She was the closest girl friend…

' **Emphasis on the space in the middle,'** Red chuckled.

That he'd had since Kenli…

And although his Kenli held a unique place in his heart, his feelings for the tiger master were still there. Whether she returned them was a different matter entirely…

As Po calmed, his eye's shifted back to their normal jade green but they were dark with concern. Unaware of his eye fluctuating phenomenon, Po decided to get back to the palace to inform the others…assuming they'd finally returned. He'd also have to dispose of the dead and have the imperial forces come take away the surviving bandits. Not to mention fix the damages…and help the evacuated villagers and—

No…No…

He'd done more than enough for today. The others could handle all that. It was the least they could do. THEY had left him alone to deal with this immense bandit attack. THEY could damn well do their share. Shifu would have been appalled of their behavior. Heck! The grandmaster would probably be appalled with his behavior when he returned…if he returned.

Po shook his head of such thoughts. That gorilla had really gotten to him…more than he'd like to admit. He couldn't allow the ape to implant doubts in his mind…otherwise he'd begin doubting his actions. Shifu always said 'A warrior should always remain confident in himself despite whatever he may face'…or something like that.

Taking a step forward, Po cursed in pain. Realizing he'd completely forgotten about his broken leg, he limped over to the furniture shop that he'd flown into earlier. After a few minutes of searching he came across two pieces of plywood that would suit his needs. Ripping off a strand of his burlap-shorts, he used the two pieces of wood to brace his leg. He was glad he hadn't worn the new vest and pants that his father had given him. They would've been totally ruined.

After tying a knot in the cloth, he secured the makeshift brace. Looking down at it he shrugged his shoulders…he was no medic after all. It was crude and inelegant, but it would suffice until he could get proper medical treatment.

He exited the shop and made his way down the dirt street before he was stopped by an audible whimper…a whimper of fear.

Turning his attention to the direction of the noise, Po's face fell. On the main street to his right, he met the eyes of the hundreds of villagers that he thought he'd evacuated…apparently they'd returned sooner than expected. Judging from the looks on faces, Po realized that they'd seen his…his lapse in judgment. The crowd of villagers stared at the Dragon Warrior…some coldly…some in horror…some with disgust…disappointment…fear…anger…disbelief…you name it. There were very few faces that showed understanding or sympathy…not that Po believed that he deserved much of that at the moment.

After several seconds of silence as the bear and the village members stared at each other, Po turned his gaze away. He couldn't handle it. He couldn't meet their eyes…

"You disgusting animal!"

Po was snapped out of his reverie by a harsh voice. Looking up, he saw the crowd had gotten closer and began to jeer him, throwing insult after jab.

"You call yourself a hero?" "Get lost you freak!" "Think of the children!"

"We were better off without you!" "We don't need you, just the Furious Five!"

' **That's gratitude for ya,'** Red grumbled in irritation.

After minutes of abuse, the crowd finally cooled down enough to halt their actions. But not enough to keep the looks of disgust off their faces. Soon they dispersed back to their homes, leaving the panda by himself.

Po however, was frozen. He tried not to let their comments affect him…but dammit they hurt!

He'd spent nearly three years trying to gain the trust and admiration of the valley. Years of work…years of helping…years…

And now it was seemingly broken…his effort in vain. How could he be such a fool? Why did he always hope?

His thoughts were put on hold as a middle-aged ocelot lady stepped up to him. Her eyes, which were a pale pink, held a neutral gaze, although Po sensed a twinge of malice in their depths. Something about this feline seemed oddly familiar, then it hit him.

Middle-aged…lady…ocelot…similar pink eyes…it was Kenli's mother. To say Po was shocked would be an understatement. After her daughter had died, her mother had moved away from the valley, saying it reminded her too much of Kenli. And after all these years, she'd returned.

"Ping," she stated in a slightly icy tone.

' **That's Mr. Master Dragon Warrior Sir to you, ya old hag,'** Red sneered.

Po for a moment was speechless. How could he not be? His first love's mother was here, witnessing his terrible blunder. Not to mention that they'd never been on good terms in the first place.

"Ms. Jade," he returned in a more pleasant tone.

'Oh the irony of that name,' Po mused.

Ms. Jade narrowed her eyes at the panda before her. She'd never really liked the overweight ball of fur. And she never understood what her beloved daughter saw in the low-life panda. Even after she'd received news of his apparent success as the Dragon Warrior, she knew that it was a mistake. As she arrived back to the valley, low and behold she was proven correct. He was a pig, no pun intended, just like her husband.

"You should be ashamed of yourself you know," she added, this time in a more mellow tone. Even though she despised this boy…her daughter hadn't…and she'd loved her daughter. Po looked as if he'd been slapped in the face by the remark, as he visibly flinched.

"My daughter loved you…for gods know what reason…and you do something like this," she continued meeting his eyes with a look of antipathy.

Po's jaw trembled, unable to form a response. Not in anger…but in something far worse…doubt. This woman may be spiteful, but she had a point. If he let his anger control him…he was no better than the monsters he faced.

However, Ms. Jade wasn't finished. She stepped closer to the bear before roughly poking her claw into his chest, not deep enough to draw blood, but deep enough to sting.

"I've read about you in the papers Dragon Warrior," she spat, as if 'Dragon Warrior' was the worst insult on the planet. At the moment, Po felt as if it was.

"You think yourself a warrior of the people when you live atop a mountain in a grand palace? With riches and status that rival that of the emperor himself," she berated heatedly.

Every second Po listened, the more and more he realized that what Kenli's mother said was true. A harsh truth but truth nonetheless.

"You think you fight for us? You only fight for yourself," she accused with a look that rivaled that of a disappointed parent.

Po couldn't express the jumbled mess of feelings and emotions that swirled inside his mind. He could barely manage to meet the old woman's gaze.

"We may have had our differences in the past. But I really had hoped that you would turn out to be different…for my daughter's sake," she sighed, stepping back away from the panda.

Po's throat was constricted as he tried to unknot his vocal chords. He wanted to tell…no…show that he was different. He was a good guy. He wasn't cruel. He had kept his promise to Kenli…

But alas, he could do nothing as his voice refused to work, only confirming the older ocelot's suspicions.

Shaking her head in pity, Ms. Jade gave the bear before her a stern look, albeit the edges of her eyes radiated a sadness.

"You can only be thankful that Kenli isn't here to witness what you've become…it would have broken her heart…"

Po's arm shot to his chest, clutching his own heart as if that final statement had driven her accusations home…and it had. Stumbling back away from her, Po shook his head furiously, trying to escape from the growing sense of pain in his heart.

Ms. Jade just stood there, stoically, as she watched the panda with interest. She hadn't realized her words had affected the warrior as much as they had. However, she had one last comment to make before she'd most likely never see the bear again.

"You were never what Kenli needed…you realize that now? Think hard on whether the valley really needs or wants you in the same respect," she concluded solemnly, before turning around and leaving the fumbling warrior to his mess of thoughts.

Po was finally alone now, no insults, no abuse, no nothing…but the damage had been done…and the seed of doubt had been planted. Little did he know that the seed would sprout into a vicious parasite and devour him from the inside out.

Placing the worry at the back of his mind, Po dully trudged forward towards the steps. His expression was blank, but anyone could tell that he was troubled. He was hurting, that much was certain. The only thing keeping him going at this point was a burning resentment for the Five…for the bandits. Heck! Even himself.

He would feel a little better after chewing the Five and Saber out, not much better, but at this point there was nothing much that could help with his current state of mind. He was a physical and emotional wreck.

To take his thoughts away from the bandits, the Five, Kenli, and especially his conversation with Ms. Jade, he allowed his eyes and thoughts to roam around him. He settled on the village's buildings and construction.

Thankfully, not much damage had been done to most of the valley. The only real damage was about a block or two where most of the fighting had occurred. After half an hour of painful limping, he arrived at the base of the steps. To say he was dreading on traversing the steps in his current condition would be an understatement.

Taking his first step up the stairs he grunted in pain…This was going to be one pain in the ass …

"When I get over there…I swear to the gods I'm gonna… I'm gonna give them a piece of my mind!" Po grumbled numbly, wincing every step of the way. The makeshift bandages and brace around his wounded leg loosened substantially as he climbed farther up the steps.

' **That's such a YOU thing to say! Go get'em buddy!'** Red encouraged with a laugh trying to incite any type of reaction from the big guy. There was none. And for some awful reason, Red felt as if he wouldn't be getting another reaction for some time.

* * *

 **A/N: That's that. As if things couldn't get worse for our favorite panda, I go and do something like this. A necessary evil it may be, Po's development from his losses are crucial to the plot and to the story, as harsh as that sounds.**

 **Hope you guys enjoyed my most recent update! And hopefully the wait was worth it. I try to mix in a few elements of humor, drama, angst, action...all that good stuff. Don't want this story to seem too dark...even though it is listed in the angst genre. After all, the best stories involve all elements and a multitude of genres to appeal to the entire emotional spectrum.**

 **I'm getting ahead of myself, so i'll draw this AN to a close. Next chapter will hopefully be uploaded by the end of July, maybe sooner, maybe later. Hopefully you guys aren't too annoyed with the waiting between updates. I try my best. As the saying goes... "All good things come to those who wait"**

 **Next chapter is, Chapter X: A Cursed Reality**

 **I think I'm done now! I'll see you lovely people later!**

 **Frost2001 Out!**


	11. Chapter 10: A Cursed Reality

**A/N:**

 **Hey Guys! Bet you thought I'd given up on the story. Truthfully, I've been less than enthusiastic about continuing just because of lack of ideas and not being willing to keep writing. But I've had some free time the past several days and I thought I might as well keep writing the story. I'll still try to give this story as much effort as possible. But I'm not making any promises. This story may or may not be finished, but I'm not done just yet.**

 **As always, Read & Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Dream Works or Kung Fu Panda. I only own this specific plot and my OCs.**

* * *

 **Chapter X: A Cursed Reality**

 _The Valley of Peace_

Stumbling up the rock path, Po had finally arrived at the palace grounds. He'd lost all feeling in his left leg at this point and he was pretty sure that wasn't a good thing.

As he approached the kitchen, he was met with the sounds of talking and laughter. He grumbled in irritation. Naturally they'd returned after the bandit raid had been resolved. At the moment he definitely wasn't in the mood to beat around the bush.

Throwing open the doors—quite forcibly—the gazes of the five and Saber snapped to the somewhat irritable panda before them. Judging on his expression, he wasn't very happy with them. Unsurprisingly, Mantis was the first to speak.

"Hey buddy, where have you been-" he was cut off harshly by the Dragon Warrior.

"Where have I been? Oh nothing much really, just dealing with a HUGE bandit raid all by myself while my teammates were enjoying themselves at the springs and drinking piña coladas," Po revealed with more than a little acidity in his voice.

"Well actually we didn't have any piña coladas…we had some margaritas-" Saber offered weakly before Po's pointed glared shut him up.

They all looked down in shame, not willing to meet the panda's harsh gaze. They were quite ashamed of themselves, as they should be.

It was silent in the room for a number of minutes before Po's gaze softened a tad. He was angry no doubt…but being bitter wasn't something he was very good at.

"Listen, I need some of you to go down to the valley, help clear up the debris and wreckage as well as escort the captive bandits to the nearest imperial office, okay?" he let out with a tired sigh.

The others perked up at this before nodding frantically, determined to make amends. As they began to leave the kitchen, Tigress caught sight of the bear's mangled leg.

"Po! Your leg!" she exclaimed in shock.

Looking down, Po remembered another reason why today had been less than pleasant. Hobbling over to one of the kitchen chairs, the panda seated himself with a slight grunt of discomfort.

"Oh yeah, could you heal that for me please," he asked waving over the tiger master.

Tigress nodded before closing her eyes and sweeping her hands in a familiar motion. Soon they began to glow a bright gold color. Once her hands were completed enveloped in the glow of chi, Tigress opened her eyes and placed her hands on the panda's leg. The instant her hands made contact with the injured appendage, it began to glow as well. After half a minute of this process, Tigress removed her hand from the Dragon Warrior's leg. Giving her a look of thanks, Po tested his left leg out. Aside from the severe soreness in it, his leg seemed to have healed quite nicely. The tranquility of the moment was ruined by a certain white tiger.

"Woah! Was that chi?" he exclaimed enthusiastically.

Po sighed; he was too tired for this.

"Yes. Yes it was," he returned with a yawn, hoping Saber would understand that he was tired and would leave him alone.

Not taking the hint, Saber continued to question, "Wait why couldn't you use chi to heal yourself…aren't you like the master at it?"

Po grunted in annoyance, "You can't transfer chi to heal yourself, just others."

"Oh."

Tigress seeing the ever growing annoyance in the bear's eyes decided to cut in. Taking Saber by the shoulder, she led him towards the doorway.

"I'm sure Po is very tired and would like some rest after such a strenuous fight," she reasoned with Saber.

"Oh…okay. I'll see you down in the valley then," he returned with a grin before following the rest of the five down the stairs to clean up after the bandit raid.

The female tiger turned back to the panda who was currently massaging his temples tiredly. Biting her lip, she stepped forward, drawing the attention of the Dragon Warrior.

"Po…I'm sorry, I feel guilty about this and—"

"Just…just drop it okay? It's in the past," Po returned with a huff.

Tigress nodded slowly not being able to meet the panda's gaze. Seeing this, Po cleared his throat to ease the tension out of the room. Tigress finally allowed herself to meet his eyes. He looked exhausted, but it didn't take away from the fact that the corners of his lips were upturned ever so slightly.

"Listen, I've been meaning to ask you," he began nervously twiddling his fingers.

Surprised at the sudden change in attitude, Tigress internally smirked. No matter how he acted or how much he seemed to mature, he was still the same old Po.

"Shoot."

Po gave her a nervous glance before continuing, "Well, you see…my birthday is coming up tomorrow and I was hoping that you and the others could come down to celebrate with me at my dad's restaurant."

Tigress's jaw almost dropped at the statement. But not for a reason one might think…

… How could she be so careless to forget her best friend's birthday?

With all the chaos of Saber returning and everything she'd totally forgotten not only to get him a present but that fact that his birthday was a day away.

"Of-Of course Po…but I apologize, I haven't gotten you a present…I'm a terrible friend," she mumbled looking down to her feet.

Would he be mad? Would he revoke the invitation? She wouldn't blame him. She'd basically put him on the back burner for over a week now and forgetting his birthday was just the icing on top of the cake.

Seeing her embarrassment and self-resentment, Po took her hand in his own. This brought the feline out of her thoughts and back to reality. Reluctantly, she brought herself to look at him once more, expecting to see contempt or a form of anger on his face. See was pleasantly surprised by a look of genuine smile and a glint of humor in his jade orbs.

"I don't care about all that. You are enough—I mean, **You guys** are enough," Po stumbled over his words gently, trying to cover his slip up.

' **Real Smooth Romeo,'** Red chortled.

Thankfully, Tigress didn't seem to catch the slip up. Po rose to his feet, eager to escape the awkward situation he'd created.

"I'm kinda tired from the fight so I think I'll take a nap for the next hour or two," he revealed as he slipped out the door.

Tigress however, was frozen. The gears in her head were turning as they processed what had happened with a single thought on her mind.

 _What did I ever do to deserve a friend like Po Ping?_

* * *

After several hours of clean up, the rest of the Five had returned and eaten dinner. Unsurprisingly, Po's one hour nap had turned out to be lights out for the rest of the day. They weren't shocked though; he tended to skip dinner more and more often nowadays.

The sun had set, and everyone was in there dorms. One after the other, each respective member blew out their candles.

Viper was on the verge of blowing hers out as well when a quiet knock came from her dorm's door. Humming in interest, Viper slithered over to the door. Who would be knocking at this hour? Probably Monkey or Mantis.

'Maybe Crane?' the serpent thought hopefully.

Upon opening the door and seeing who it was, all other assumptions were thrown out the window. Standing before her was none other than Tigress. This was quite rare. Viper couldn't remember the last time Tigress had come knocking on her door.

"May I come in?" the feline asked in a quiet tone, her eyes glancing around to make sure no one was watching. Raising an eyebrow, Viper ushered her in before silently closing the door.

Turning around, she found Tigress sitting contentedly on the side of her cot, legs crossed, with a thoughtful look upon her face.

"Sure. Go ahead and make yourself comfortable," Viper mumbled sarcastically.

Tigress either didn't hear her, or didn't care enough to respond. The feline just continued to stare off into space with a concentrated look across her features. Rolling her eyes, Viper slithered up onto the cot so she was side by side with her female compatriot.

"I take that this isn't a social gathering," Viper asked, her voice a little louder this time.

Snapping back to reality, Tigress turned to her with a neutral expression across her face.

"Actually, that's exactly what I needed. I have to talk to you about some issues."

Ideally, Tigress had been planning on having this conversation with Shifu, but that wasn't going to happen anytime soon, so she chose the next best thing.

Viper almost did a double take, but managed to control herself. TIGRESS wanted to have a personal conversation with HER!

Viper squealed in delight, "Oh my god! We're going to have a GIRL TALK!"

No sooner had these words left the snake's mouth, a strong hand had clamped over it, forcing it shut.

"Will you be quiet? This is personal, and I'd rather not have the whole valley informed of this," she hissed with a sharp glare.

Viper nodded, but was still vibrating from excitement. Cautiously, Tigress removed her hand from the serpent's mouth. Thankfully, Viper seemed to get a grip on her emotions before responding, "So what's the issue?"

Tigress blushed slightly as she rubbed the back of her head, "Well…you see. I've been having weird feelings lately. My skin will tingle…my heart races…my face heats up…I lose my ability to think and speak properly," she listed, becoming more comfortable the longer she talked.

Viper internally squealed. Her friend was in L-O-V-E! Oh she couldn't wait! Viper began to think of the countless possibilities. Where will their first date be? When was the wedding? How many nephews will she have?

"I'm assuming you're having these feelings around a certain special someone?" Viper said almost knowingly.

"Two people actually," Tigress admitted, tapping her chin in thought.

Viper nearly choked on the air. Wait…what? She must have heard that wrong…right?

"Wait, did you just say two?" Viper questioned in shock.

Tigress looked back at her, nodding in confirmation.

Viper's shock soon wore off, replaced by a look a realization.

"Saber and Po…"

Tigress nodded once again with a look of contemplation across her beautiful features. She'd really gotten herself into a pickle this time. She obviously couldn't have both…and that left a seemly impossible choice. Would she choose her best friend who'd gotten her to open up with her emotions and had stood by her through the past 3 years? Or would it be her first love interest who'd stolen her heart. If she was being honest…she'd never really gotten over him.

"I-I really don't know what to do. No matter what choice I make, someone's going to get hurt…And I care for both of them so much," Tigress admitted.

Viper's brain was scrambled. Tigress had never been one to be open about her feelings. You'd have been lucky to get so much as a smile out of her a few years ago. Now she'd come to her for advice, with her heart out on her sleeve. Her friend needed her, and the serpent wasn't planning on letting her down. There was a reason she was the member of the Five that everyone went to for their personal problems.

"Where do you see yourself in the future?" Viper questioned softly.

Tigress gave her a perplexed look. What did that have anything to do with her current situation? Nonetheless she answered, but not without a bit of a hesitation, "I…I want to have a relationship that lasts. I want to share myself with someone who'll stick with me until the end," she said, confidence growing in every word.

The female serpent internally squealed. SO ROMANTIC!

'Viper focus!' she scolded herself.

"Do…you want kids? A family?" she asked calmly.

Tigress froze at that. Family? Kids? She'd never really thought about it before. It seemed so far out of reach…so unobtainable. Then again, was it something she wanted?

To have someone to call you Mommy? To become a mother and raise offspring. To have someone to cherish and love?

"I-I…yes I guess. I mean, I love Kung Fu and you guys, but I can't see myself doing it forever. I want to be a Mom. Maybe not now…but in the future," Tigress admitted quietly.

Viper nodded in understanding. However, what she said next would be the final nail in the coffin. If Tigress really wanted kids…only one option was viable.

Viper sighed…Po was going to hate her for what she was about to tell Tigress.

"Then you choose Saber," she concluded.

Tigress met her eyes in the form of a question.

Viper continued, "He's a great guy. Nice, kind, funny, but most importantly…you guys can raise a family together. With Po…that'd never be a possibility."

"But, what about adoption?" Tigress argued half-heartedly.

Viper shook her head, "We both know that's not the same."

Tigress left out a sigh…she had her answer. Saber. She could only hope Po would understand.

'Of course he'll understand. Po always understands. That's why he's my best friend,' Tigress thought in resolution.

She quietly thanked Viper for her advice and exited the dorm, leaving for her own. Viper lay on her cot with a look of concern displayed across her face. She really hoped she'd said the right thing.

'Only time will tell,' she thought tiredly, before blowing on her candle and finally going to sleep.

As Viper's room turned dark, it left the hallway lit by nothing but the faint rays of the moon. Tigress's figure stood out in the hallway, frozen to the spot. She was quietly contemplating her next move. What now? What would she do?

Taking a deep breath, the feline master steeled her resolve.

'If I don't do it now, I doubt I'll have the courage to do it later,' she thought in determination.

Taking purposeful strides down the hallway, she finally stopped in front of Saber's door. Trying not to overthink, Tigress raised her hand to knock. However, her paw froze centimeters away from the wood. All her confidence from moments earlier was seeping away rapidly and if she hesitated any longer she'd lose her nerve.

Shaking off her indecision, Tigress rapped the door several times. Half a minute later, the door was opened revealing a Saber wearing nothing but a towel around his waist.

"Oh. Hey Tigress! Sorry about this. Just got back from the showers," he apologized with an embarrassed grin.

Tigress was trying and failing from blushing profusely at the sight before her. Clearing her throat, Tigress locked her eyes with her Siberian counterpart. This was it. No turning back now.

"Saber, there's something I need to tell you," she said with a small smile.

* * *

 _Zhanjiang, China_

Kiara had been in a lot of crappy situations…but this one took the cake. Incarcerated, on a pirate ship, hundreds of miles from home, chained in a dark cold room that smelled like rotten fish…oh yeah, things couldn't get any worse.

The feline beauty let out a small laugh, well there's one good thing about being at rock bottom…the only way to go is up. Optimism always had been something she excelled in.

The ship had finally docked at the Zhanjiang port a few hours ago. Captain Butch and the crew had already stock piled all the necessities required to make the return trip back to Egypt. However, given that they weren't on a very tight schedule, Butch allowed them to spend the night docked at the harbor. Almost everyone was sound asleep, except for the princess herself, and two pirates guarding the door. Even with the lioness in chains behind a locked door, Butch didn't want to take any risks regarding his 'retirement fund' as he so eloquently called her.

He'd tightened security even more, ever since he'd received word from Akua himself that the bounty had been raised from a grand fifteen thousand to an astronomical seventy-five thousand. Apparently, Akua had captured yet another treasury in the Valley of Ra, adding to his already disgustingly large sum of wealth. One of his main priorities had been to raise the bounty on the princess's head, especially since the news of her escape had been made public. No wonder the rotten orangutan had doubled up on all security measures. He'd even raised each of the crew members cut substantially to ensure they were as motivated as he was to ensure the princess wouldn't escape.

It was nearing midnight and it was time for Kiara to put her plan into action. Most assumed that she was an air-head princess, typical stereotype. She'd hated being seen as a dumb blonde bimbo like so many of her royal counterparts. However, for this plan to work, she needed to pull it off perfectly.

"I'm thirsty!" she whined for the seemingly thousandth time.

The hyena pirate's eye twitched. Of all the annoying duties he'd been stuck with, guarding this NUISANCE was possibly the worst.

"Will you SHUT UP!" he shot back in annoyance.

Tucker, the bull pirate, massaged his temples in exhaustion.

"Maybe if we just give 'er some water she'll quiet down," he said in realization, looking proudly to his pirate counterpart, Rick, as if coming up with the idea was revolutionary. Tucker had never been the sharpest tool in the shed after all.

"Y'know what? Fine! Just shut the bitch up," Rick bemoaned.

Tucker eagerly jogged off, only to return a few minutes later with a canteen.

Yanking out the key ring from his pocket, he unlocked the steel door and entered into the dark room.

Kiara sat there expectantly, "About time! The service here is absolutely terrible!" she fake fumed.

"…Sorry," the bull mumbled.

Rick rolled his eyes, "Don't apologize idiot! She's just a dumb princess!"

"Oh…"

Kiara struggled to keep a straight face as she watched the interaction between the two. She took the canteen eagerly and took several swigs. After she was satisfied she eyed the two thugs in curiosity.

"Soooo, how much are you getting for all this trouble?" she directed the question at the hyena. This was the deal breaker, whether or not he took the bait here would determine if this plan succeeded or failed. Thankfully, the self-important hyena, as expected, took the bait.

"Well I'll have you know that cap'n Butch's givin me a sum of two thousand for my efforts," he returned to the chained feline smugly.

Tucker quickly turned to face Rick, "Two thousand? I'm only gettin five hundred!" he said in disbelief.

Kiara internally smirked, perfect.

Faking a look of shock, the lioness's mouth formed a perfect 'O', before adding into the conversation, "Well that hardly seems fair."

Tucker nodded his head in agreement. Rick chuckled loudly at this.

"Fair? It's more than fair. That sack of potatoes don't know up from down. He's gotten more than his fair share. If we're honest five hundred seems very generous," he laughed before turning his back to the two, seemingly done with the conversation.

Tucker looked hurt by that statement, but looking closely, Kiara could see a spark of anger in the bull's eyes. She just needed to ignite it.

"Y'know, you should be the one getting the two thousand. After all, what has he done to deserve it? You're the one who's guarded me the most," Kiara whispered innocently.

The bull clung onto each word as he nodded his head intently. And soon his look of intent turned to a look of anger as he focused his gaze on the hyena, whose back was still to both Kiara and him.

"I deserve it more," he grumbled quietly in anger.

Once the bull's attention drew away from her, Kiara's face broke out into a hysterical grin.

Oh yeah. She's good.

 ***Minutes Later***

"Ack! Tucker let go you buffon!"

The two pirates were currently tumbling back and forth across the stone floor of the chamber. Both trading heavy blows, however Tucker seemed to have the upper hand. As the two thugs fought it out, Kiara's tail quietly slunk over and snatched up the fallen keys. Within seconds she'd unlocked her shackles and made a dash for the door. Tucker didn't even notice her, however Rick did.

"Idiot! She's getting awa-" he managed, only to be cut off by the bull hammering him in the face.

Kiara promptly shut and locked the steel door as quietly as she could. Judging from the sound of punching and tumbling, the two were still going at it. Hopefully it stayed that way. Quietly, she snuck across the deck, entering the storage room. Thankfully, she found her sword and bag of belongings within seconds. Snatching up both, she exited the room.

Landing onto the dock, she walked calmly into town and away from her former prison. She wanted to put as much distance as possible between her and the ship of misfits.

"Just a dumb princess my ass," she let out with a smirk.

* * *

"Aaaaand done!"

Po threw the last remaining scroll into the bin of other used scrolls. He'd successfully read and memorized all 2525 Kung Fu scrolls. Master Shifu would probably have a heart attack. The panda chuckled at the thought.

' **Nah! He'd have a heart attack if he found out you were boning his daughter,'** Red corrected.

Po couldn't help but agree. But that wasn't going to be happening anytime soon or even in the future. Tigress had been officially taken, off the market as Red would say, since last night. Funny enough, apparently she'd been the one to propose to Saber. Honestly though, Po was surprised it didn't happened sooner. They seemed to have a crazy amount of chemistry for a pair of people who'd barely just reunited a few weeks ago.

' **And you're not upset by this?'** Red questioned.

"Why should I be? It's not like I ever had a chance with her," Po shrugged neutrally. However, he was a little hurt. He thought he'd connected with Tigress, at least enough to get her to talk to him about their complicated relationship…friendship. Now it was in the past. All he could do was be supportive.

' **Lame!'**

It was the five in the evening, with the sun just now setting over the mountains. He'd been so caught up in his reading that he nearly forgotten about his own party. Well, party was a stretch, more like a gathering of family and friends. You only turn twenty-four once after all. It wasn't going to be something really special anyways. His dad had reserved the entire restaurant for him and his friends. That in itself marked the occasion's importance due to the goose's frugal nature. The Five and some close friends from town were invited. It was small, but Po didn't mind, to him it was going to be perfect.

Quickly tidying himself up, Po slipped on his jade vest and black pants. They were so much more comfortable than his ratty old patched shorts.

'I'm gonna have to thank Dad next time I visit,' he thought cheerfully.

He slowly made his way through the palace grounds and down the palace stairs. The walk was a peaceful one. The brisk winter air felt good against his fur, and the setting sun left an array of colors plastered across the darkening sky, much like one of those fancy paintings you see in art shops.

Finally arriving at his dad's noodle shop, Po entered through the gateway.

"Oh Po! It's great to see you! Come in! Come in!" Mr. Ping greeted, dragging him to a table inside.

The panda smiled at his dad's enthusiasm. He seemed to be more enthralled with the gathering than Po himself. Ping subsequently rushed into the kitchen, and the sounds of chopping, dicing, and metal cookware soon commenced. After a few minutes the goose exited the kitchen with a content look upon his face.

"Everything is perfect Po. I have the noodles simmering. Several dozen bean buns in the oven. Dumplings are ready, just waiting for the oven. And I have a special surprise for dessert," the goose listed off quickly.

Po held up his hands in a peaceful gesture, "Whoa. Whoa. Dad calm down. Everything sounds great," he said with a reassuring smile.

Ping rubbed the back of his neck bashfully. He just wanted everything to be perfect for his son's birthday. He knew something was bothering Po, he could see it in his eyes, especially in his last few visits. He knew Po was going through a hard time for some reason, but he just couldn't put his finger on it.

"Oh Po! I almost forgot! Ms. Ling and Mr. Tao couldn't make it. Something about business complications," he added with a frown.

Po shrugged, "That's alright. The Five will be down here in about half an hour."

"That sounds wonderful Po, make yourself comfortable," Ping returned before heading back into the kitchen to check on the food.

Po folded his hands and let his mind wander.

All he could do now was wait.

* * *

"We should really do this more often," Saber mumbled as he nuzzled his snout into Tigress's neck.

"You'd like that wouldn't you?" Tigress laughed back at him.

The two tigers were lying together underneath the peach tree, not a care in the world. The sunset was near its end and the final rays of light were waning against the ever growing darkness of the looming night. It was about as romantic as you could get, all that was missing was a slow music band and a bouquet of flowers.

"You wanna invite the Five to dinner, I'll cook us up something good," Saber offered with a smile.

"Yeah that sounds nice…but I feel like I'm forgetting some-" Tigress was cut off by a splitting headache. She groaned a little in pain and clutched her throbbing skull.

Saber leaned over quickly with a look of concern on his face, "Are you alright?"

Thankfully, the splitting ache subsided within seconds, leaving just a dull throbbing, "Yeah. I'm fine. Just a little headache," she reassured him with a small smile.

Still concerned, Saber caressed her cheek with his paw, "Maybe we should just call it a night. I don't want to make you feel worse."

Tigress shook her head, "No, that's alright. I'm fine Sabes, dinner sounds wonderful, especially if you're cooking," she returned with a smile.

"Ok then, well let's tell the others," he concluded, taking her paw in his own and heading towards the palace grounds.

The rest of the Five were all within the vicinity and it was quite easy to convince them to join for dinner once they learned Saber was cooking. However, after nearly half an hour of searching they still couldn't find Po.

Entering the dining room, Saber let out a huff of frustration, "Where is the big guy? I've looked everywhere!"

The five shrugged in defeat, they hadn't been able to find him either. Tigress had a look of concentration across her face. She was forgetting something, she was sure of it. She was supposed to inform the others of something today, and for the life of her she couldn't remember what it was. Her thought process was foggy and in all honesty thinking about it was making her headache worse, so she decided to just drop it.

"Have you checked the scroll room?" Crane asked.

Saber nodded, "Four times."

"Peach tree?" asked Viper.

"Yep."

"Dragon Grotto?" Monkey voiced aloud.

"Twice."

Then a light bulb went off in Tigress's head. That's what she was forgetting. She was pretty sure Po had mentioned he was taking a trip to the Pool of Sacred Tears tonight, that's why he's gone.

"I think he's at the Pool of Tears," Tigress concluded.

Saber looked confused, "Why's he all the way out there?"

"Po's been very strict on his mediation and training in recent months," Mantis offered.

Saber whistled with an impressed look on his face. He knew that being the Dragon Warrior was a tough job, but the dedication that guy put into it was remarkable.

"That guy's something else. Props to him. I'd never have that level of discipline," Saber let out.

He turned to the others with a shrug of his shoulders, "Guess I'll get to cooking."

The Five all sat around the table as Saber got to work. Their conversations ranged from fun stories to jokes to shameful experiences, but they seemed content to wait for the Siberian tiger to finish cooking his signature dishes.

Tigress sat there quietly in thought. Something was off, she could feel it. But no matter how hard she tried to think about it she came up empty.

She huffed in frustration.

'Whatever, if I can't remember it probably wasn't that important anyways,' she thought with a shrug.

Little did she realize that what she was forgetting was nothing if not extremely important.

* * *

 _ ***Hours later***_

It was nearing twelve o'clock and the noodle shop was as empty and quiet as it had been the past five hours. The large figure of a panda sat at one of the stools at a deserted table, slouched over the figure wasn't moving a muscle. The dishes of food placed across the table were in pristine condition; untouched. They'd gone cold long ago, a waste.

Mr. Ping quietly looked out from his doorway at his son. Seeing him like this broke his heart. The nerve of those other kung fu masters, there was no doubt that he was going to have a serious word with Shifu once the grandmaster returned.

Putting on his best smile, Ping opened the door holding a small cake in his hands with two dozen candles atop it. He walked gingerly over to the bear and set it down in front of him. Po still didn't move.

"Eh, I made you a cake son! Caramel and vanilla bean, your favorite!" Ping tried to incite a reaction from the panda.

Po finally shifted his head to meet his fathers, the flames from the candles reflecting across the surface of his watery eyes.

"Thanks dad," he said quietly, before his eyes downcast.

Ping's smile faltered, before a look of indignation spread across his face, "Bah! Who needs those Furious Five anyways? If they were really your friends they'd have the decency to show up to your birthday!"

Po sighed as he stared into the flames of the candles, "Thanks for reminding me Dad."

The goose shut his mouth before sighing in defeat. There was nothing he was able to say or do that could comfort his son right now. Po just needed time.

"Is there anything I can do for you Po?" he asked anyways.

Po shook his head a sad smile displayed across his face, "No, that's alright Dad, you should probably head to bed. I know you're tired," he said his eyes not leaving the flames of the candles.

Ping nodded before giving the bear a hug, "I love you son."

The goose quickly headed back into the shop, leaving Po alone once more. The lights inside the shop were put out a few minutes later, leaving the Dragon Warrior in the dark, the only source of light coming from the candles on the cake.

Finally, Po let the tears run down his cheeks as he sat in silence.

"H-happy birthday to m-me," he quietly sang.

"Happy b-birthday t-to me."

"Happy birthday dear P-po…" he sang before finally breaking down in a quiet fit of sobs. The wind had begun to pick up, and storm clouds were gathering. It was only a matter of time before a freezing winter shower would come raining down. Po didn't care. His body shook as he cried for the first time in what seemed like ages.

' **Happy birthday to you,'** Red finished for him.

After a few minutes, the sobbing began to die down, replaced by silence once more. Po, finally calm enough to rationalize, concluded that It'd be better for him to wallow in self-pity in his warm cot at the Jade Palace rather than the freezing rain.

Rising from his stool, he exited the shop and began his trek up the thousand steps. The journey was silent for several minutes before Red commented,

' **Y'know, life must suck pretty bad when the only people who wished you a happy birthday is your father and a voice inside your head.'**

Po let out a laugh at this. Honestly, Red may be annoying, but having someone to talk to is better than no one…even if that someone was imaginary.

' **Imaginary? I take offense to that!'** Red grumbled back.

Po shook his head, a small smile threatening to break out.

After another half-hour, Po reached the top of the stairs. He was now trudging through the palace grounds towards the barracks. The downpour of rain had started about ten minutes ago and the bear was soaked from head to toe. He was freezing, wet, and quite miserable. However, what he saw next made everything he was feeling infinitely worse. The kitchen doors were ajar, inside were the Five and Saber all laughing their hearts out, having a good time, talking as if they'd known each other their whole lives. That was bad enough. It only got worse after Saber swept Tigress into his lap and drew her into a kiss. The others' wolf-whistles and cat-calls could be heard a hundred yards away through the wind and rain where Po was standing. Not being able to stand the sight, Po looked away before continuing his trek through the rain towards the barracks. Red insisted that the others were merely anchors weighing them down.

' **Who needs'em. Not Us! We're a dynamic duo. A tremendous twosome. Prevailing partners. We're-'**

"Red?" Po said calmly.

' **Yeah?'**

"Shut up."

' **Gotcha.'**

Po entered his dark dorm before shutting the door behind him. After toweling off his wet fur, the panda collapsed onto his cot, fully exhausted by the day's events, both physically and mentally.

He had no trouble falling asleep. However, what followed the sleep troubled him…

 _ ***Dreamscape***_

 _Po's eyes opened as he scanned his surroundings. He wasn't in his bed. Heck! He wasn't even in the Jade Palace. He found himself lying in the snow surrounded by jagged mountains. The cold winds whipped against his fur coat covered in frost. In the distance he could make out several figures, but not who they were. Putting up his arm to shield his face from the wind, Po trudged forward through the snow towards the figures. As he drew closer he realized what they were…who they were._

" _No, no, no, no!" Po let out frantically as he pushed through the snow and wind towards the figures lying on the ground. It was Dim and Sum. Blood leaked out of their wounds as they lay motionless on the cold frozen ground. Behind them were more figures. Every time Po blinked it seemed as if the dead bodies multiplied._

 _Shifu laid still, a sword sticking through his stomach. Crane was pinned to the ground several daggers stuck through his wings. Monkey crushed under a size-able boulder that no matter how hard he tried, Po couldn't budge. Mantis crushed by a mace, barely recognizable. Viper laid mangled on the ground a spear pinning her skull to the rocky surface. His father, Li, lay toppled over, his head separated from the rest of his body. His goose dad, Ping, had a wire coiled around his neck, strangled to death. Each death was more and more gruesome as Po looked on in horror. Finally, he made it to Tigress. What he saw made him sick to his stomach. Her hanfu was been forcefully ripped open and it was evident that she'd been defiled multiple times before her death and possibly after as well. What's worse were the carvings across her chest and stomach. Mandarin symbols that translated to whore…prostitute…tool. Po averted his gaze as he knelt down and draped her hanfu back over her chest to return a smidgen of dignity. The bear nearly had a heart attack when Tigress's eyes snapped open and her iron grip seized his hand._

" _Gah!" Po screamed in shock._

 _Tigress looked at him in misery and pity, "You couldn't save us. You weren't enough. You failed us Po. You should have done more. You should have done…" her grip grew lax as her hand dropped to her side once more and her gaze grew blank. A drop of blood dripped down her nose. She was gone._

 _Po rubbed the hand that Tigress had gripped as he closed his eyes. He couldn't take it anymore. It hurt too much._

" _Make it stop. Make it stop," He muttered to himself._

 _Suddenly the howling winds stopped. It wasn't freezing anymore. It was quiet, almost peaceful. Reluctantly, Po opened his eyes. He was sitting in lotus position in a small living room. To his right a warm fireplace crackled almost in a comforting fashion. Po gazed at the fire; it almost seemed calming, if that made sense._

" _This is a warning Dragon Warrior."_

 _Po snapped his head to forward to come face to face with the Soothsayer from Gongmen City. She sat there comfortable, sipping on a cup of hot tea, staring at him calmly. Po's mind was a mess as he tried to process what he'd seen._

" _What do you mean?" he questioned a little sharply._

 _The old goat shook her head, "You can't win this coming battle in your current state. You must leave the valley. Escape."_

 _Po looked at her in confusion, which soon shifted to anger, "What do you mean leave? I just saw everyone I love die! And you expect me to leave?" he stated vehemently._

 _The old fortuneteller wasn't fazed by the young bear's anger. She simply took another small sip from her tea cup and nodded._

 _Po looked at her in disbelief as he rose from his position and began pacing across the room back and forth massaging his temples. How could this lady just expect him to abandon everyone that loves him? It made no sense!_

" _Are you sure that they really love you?" the soothsayer questioned innocently._

 _Po snapped his attention back to her, "How did yo-"_

" _It's a dream Dragon Warrior. Of course I can hear your thoughts," she responded as if it was common knowledge._

" _You must leave, because if you don't, you will die. And if you die. China is doomed," she stated in finality._

 _Po's head felt like it was going to explode from trying to wrap his mind around all this information._

" _Why? Where would I go?" Po shot back._

" _You must seek the feline with eyes of magenta, she has been and will be the key," she said gently._

 _Po's eyes snapped to the old lady goat. Anger began to boil over as he strode towards her and pointed at her threateningly, "I don't care what your games are soothsayer, but you leave_ _ **her**_ _out of it. Don't you dare defile her by using her like some kind of piece in your messed up puzzle!" Po growled harshly._

" _But she is the key," the soothsayer insisted._

 _Po was on the verge of blowing a gasket. First, this goat lady was ordering him to abandon his friends and family. Now she was insisting that the key to all his problems is his dead soul mate._

" _SHE CAN'T BE THE KEY SHE IS DEAD!" Po bellowed in anger._

 _The soothsayer shook her head smiling, "Not as dead as you think."_

 _Po shook his head, "I've heard enough of your sick jokes soothsayer. Leave!"_

 _The soothsayer sighed in defeat. China was doomed. And she couldn't do anything to stop it. Looking sadly at the Dragon Warrior she took a final sip of her tea._

" _As you wish," she said softly before snapping her fingers._

 _Po looked around in question, but nothing happened. After another few seconds, Po looked back at the goat in question,_

" _Hey? What was tha-" he was cut off as his vision faded to black._

 _ ***End of Dreamscape***_

Po shot up out of bed breathing heavily. Looking around he found himself back in his cot, as if nothing had changed. Except, everything had changed, he was aware of that now. Rising from his bed, he quickly exited his room and soon after the barracks.

The horizon was still dark; the sun probably wouldn't be rising for another couple of hours. Brisk and sharp, the cold morning air was a major contrast to his warm and toasty room. Throwing open the scroll room doors, Po strode over to the shelves in the far back of the room. There had to be more information about this Daemon guy…about everything. Without wasting a second the bear began to shuffle through the scrolls, all of which he'd read before in the past week.

"No, no, no, no, no! Come on!" he exclaimed in frustration as he went through each scroll, continually coming up short.

He was skimming the last paragraph of the final scroll, scroll 2525, and was about to give up when Red cut in, **'Wait! What's that, there?'**

Po halted his reading, and read the final paragraph slowly this time. He finally found what Red had caught. It was a single sentence that was randomly thrown in with the rest of the paragraph.

It read:

 _The three knuckle nerve jab is a complex yet elegant move. If properly executed, this technique can be used to simulate an electric shock, equivalent to three lightning bolts. It's similar to its weaker variations, the two knuckled nerve jab and the one knuckle nerve jab, both found in scrolls 2521 and 2501 respectively._ ** _Dragon's blood shall reveal a secret held in a scroll thought to be without meaning._** _Naturally, the effect of this move can vary from user to user, as well as the user's skill level and concentration upon performing it…_

"How did I miss that when I was reading before?" Po muttered in shock.

' **You were probably too focused on this fighting technique. I mean…a strike with the power of THREE lightning bolts! How cool is that! The possibilities are endless!'** Red rambled in excitement.

Po looked up in confusion, as a question came to mind.

'Wait? I've already learned this. Why are you so excited? You should know it too,' Po let out, perplexed.

' **Nah. I've got to rest too. I usually take my naps when you read the scrolls. They are soooo boring,'** Red informed.

Po scratched his head in thought. So that's why Red never spoke up during his scroll reading sessions. The lazy idiot just went to sleep.

"Maybe I should read scrolls more often then," Po shot back.

' **Ouch! That hurt.'**

Po shook his head and reread the sentence. Dragon's blood reveals a secret on a meaningless scroll? What the hell does that mean?

Po wracked his head for possibilities. As far as he knew there were no dragons, well, at least none that he was aware of. How was he supposed to get blood from something that didn't exist? And secondly, how would it reveal something on a scroll that is meaningless, wouldn't that make the scroll meaningFUL?

"Dammit Oogway, even when you're gone you still manage to give me a ridiculous riddle. Can't I ever get a straight answer?" Po mumbled in irritation before rolling the scroll back up and stuffing it back into the shelf.

"I need to clear my head," Po sighed before exiting the room and heading towards the palace gardens.

* * *

"How much longer?" Shifu questioned while rubbing his head in impatience.

"Imma sorry sir but dis work requires expert precision n'such. I'm afraid we'll be here fo' a little while," Jeff apologized.

Shifu sighed.

Currently the two were stuck at a small port a hundred Li away from the Valley of Peace. Naturally the boat had to break down when the grandmaster needed to return back to the Jade Palace as soon as possible. He'd hoped that this repair job wouldn't take more than a day, two at most. However, the local repair shop didn't have the proper supplies and it would take days for the shipment to come in…and days more to fix the boat. Shifu simply didn't have that time. At first he'd tried to get back to the valley on another boat, but no one was heading in that direction. And no captain was accepting any form of bribery from the grandmaster. They had work to do and the Valley of Peace was way off course for all the current ships leaving the port.

That left simply waiting until Jeff's boat was fixed, which was looking to take a week, if they were lucky.

Shifu sighed, "I can only hope nothing too drastic has happened since I left."

Unfortunately, that simply wasn't the case. Not by a long shot…

* * *

 **A/N: Hopefully I'll see you guys in the next installment. Have a good one.**

 **Frost2001 Out!**


	12. Chapter 11: The Fall of an Empire

**A/N: I'm back! And in the same month too! This chapter was super fun to write. Things have really been set in motion and everything is beginning to align and come together. I think you guys are going to enjoy this update. Or who knows? Maybe you'll hate it haha. In all seriousness this chapter is depressing as hell, not to mention intense. You aren't gonna wanna blink for this one.**

 **As always Read & Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer:** **I don't own Dream Works or Kung Fu Panda. I only own this specific plot and my OCs.**

* * *

 **Chapter XI: The Fall of an Empire**

 _The Valley of Peace_

Screaming. A sound of terror that could freeze the blood in even the most composed of warriors. It was all around. It carried through the air. It reverberated through the ground. It was inescapable. It was terrifying.

The dark night sky was usually illuminated with the bright innocent glow of the moon, along with a beautiful purple and bluish hue that came from the geographic location of the valley. However, tonight the void of stars in the sky was tainted, with a dark fog of grey and a hellish hue of red and orange. It could almost be considered poetic given that the colors were reflections of the burning destruction and chaos that was occurring throughout the Valley of Peace.

Hundreds of meters above the flames and ashes that plagued the valley loomed the Jade Palace, the jade green conflicting with the orange colors in the present atmosphere, almost as if the two forces were battling, metaphorically speaking.

The palace was surprisingly quiet; no sound of alarms or shouts of the Jade Palace warriors who'd sworn to protect the valley against all costs. There was just silence. The atmosphere was chilling.

There were no figures visible...except for two.

The courtyard on the west side of the palace was usually an occupied training ground for the warriors of the palace. It was secluded, spacious, and within range of the kitchen and lounge area just in case the members of the palace ever needed a break to rest or eat. It also happened to be the riskiest training area at the palace due to the far left side of the court being the edge of the mountain. Only a small stone fence was the barrier between the courtyard and a deadly drop hundreds of meters to the ground below.

Two figures stood facing each other in the barely illuminated courtyard. One tensed, as if expecting a fight to break out at any second. The other relaxed as if he'd never been more at peace. The figure on the right was moderately tall, husky, with a confused yet angered look across his normally jovial face, though he'd been less than jovial the past several weeks. Po stood, fists clenched, body tensed in anticipation as his eyes met those of his opponent's.

Opposite of him stood a huge figure. He was tall, substantially taller than the Dragon Warrior by several inches. His dense muscles were covered in a coat of orange fur with black stripes patterned across his body. Most notably, his almost topaz colored eyes glowed in the dark as they were fixed on the panda a dozen or so meters away from him. In his hands the tiger held a massive broadsword that gleamed dully in the faint light of the palace. Disturbingly, the blade was stained with blood. Po didn't know whether it was because the feline had killed someone recently, or because he killed so often that cleaning the blade constantly had become obsolete.

All that the Dragon Warrior knew was that the figure before him was dangerous, frighteningly so. The silence was overbearing, the only noise that was present was the slight tussle of the leaves against the wind, and the inescapable echoing of screams from the valley down below. Po involuntarily shivered at that. Even all the way up here, he could hear their pleas and shrieks of pain and terror. So caught up in his own thoughts, the panda almost missed the words that came from the tiger opposite of him.

"The screams are terrible aren't they? I must admit, I used to be much better at ignoring them when I was younger. I've found it harder to do so in recent years," the deep gravelly voice of the feline projected across the area.

Po looked at him cautiously, "Yeah. I supposed you must've mellowed out with your age."

That drew a deep chuckle from the towering figure. He hadn't had a good laugh in a while. Naturally his enemy would be the one to get it out of him.

"I suppose you're right," he finished with a tired sigh.

Po stared back at his enemy with an unreadable expression, "So, you must be Daemon."

All the pieces were coming together. This tiger was the threat that Shifu had been so nervous about. He was the one who was forming a criminal syndicate. He was the person causing trouble all over China.

The tiger nodded, "Intuitive...And you must be the Dragon Warrior."

Po nodded back, waiting for the tiger to comment or continue his statement. He did not.

The two stood in silence for nearly a minute before the panda decided to speak up.

"What? No fat jokes? No comments about my eating habits?" the panda let out with a questioning look.

Daemon raised an eyebrow at this.

"Your size isn't relevant to your status or your achievements. I'm not a two year old Dragon Warrior. I've done my research. Regardless of your appearance, you've proven to be a significant opponent, even a dangerous one," Daemon answered calmly, unfazed.

Po couldn't believe his ears. Daemon was supposed to be the bad guy right? He'd met villagers who'd been more cynical than the tiger in front of him. Po shook away the thoughts within seconds. He couldn't let his guard down against this guy no matter HOW respectable he appeared to be. There were still so many questions that needed to be answered. Where is Shifu? Why hadn't he returned? What was Daemon's goal? And what was his plan?

"I assume you have a reason for being here?" Po asked, on edge again.

The corners of Daemon's lips slightly upturned at the comment. He was beginning to like this panda.

"Straight to the point," he let out with a small grin.

Continuing, his smile faded to a serious expression, "This is my last stop. The Jade Palace must be destroyed for my goal to be reached."

Po waited for the punchline...it never came. He looked at the tiger in shock then anger. Destroy an entire palace with centuries worth of knowledge...for what?

"You're joking," Po asked hesitantly.

Daemon shook his head, "I'm afraid not."

The tiger's eye quickly downcast to the baggage at the panda's feet and the pack hung across his side.

"Going somewhere?" he asked neutrally, motioning to the luggage.

Po glanced down and back up. He met the tiger's gaze. After a few seconds of trying to read Daemon's expression Po couldn't tell whether the question was legitimate or satirical...and it bugged the hell out of him.

"Maybe...but not anymore. I can't let you destroy this palace. Sorry if you were hoping otherwise," Po answered with a little edge to his voice.

Saber nodded as if he had already known the answer to his question. Swiftly, the tiger brought his large sword above his head. Po readied his stance, awaiting the attack. To the Dragon Warrior's surprise, instead of attacking, Daemon simply stabbed the sword into the courtyard floor. Much to Po's shock, the sword drove into the reinforced concrete and marble like a hot knife through butter, finally coming to a stop about two feet deep. Although that still left another six feet of the sword sticking above ground. Po didn't know whether the feat was a testament to the sword's sharpness/durability or to Daemon's strength. In all honesty, he hoped it was the sword.

"Apologies. That sword can be a real hassle," Daemon let out before reaching into his vest, searching for something. Within seconds the tiger pulled out an item wrapped in a silk cloth. He met Po's eyes and for a second a glimmer of genuine guilt shone through before his expression morphed to more of a neutral tone once again.

"If we are giving out apologies. I do have something I must apologize for Dragon Warrior," he stated tiredly. Unwrapping the item, it was revealed to be a necklace. Without hesitation, the tiger tossed it over to the Dragon Warrior. After further examination, Po realized it **was** the very same necklace that he'd given his father, Li, when he and the pandas had left back to their village in the mountains. However, the necklace, which had been in pristine condition, was now stained with a red substance...blood.

"W-what is this?" Po asked in confusion.

Daemon's solemn gaze was unwavered by the panda's question. He hadn't enjoyed committing the genocide. In fact, he questioned whether there could've been another option. But in the end, it was necessary to ensure his success.

"Your brethren are dead. I killed them. You are the last of your kind, and...I'm sorry."

* * *

 ** _*Hours earlier*_**

Po's mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, questions, and emotions, and he hadn't the slightest clue as to which to deal with first. It was already bad enough with the Five and Saber ditching him on his birthday, undermining his authority (albeit he wasn't much of the controlling type), and completely disregarding their sworn responsibilities. On top of that Shifu was gone and it was questionable whether the grandmaster would return anytime soon or at all even. If ALL that wasn't troubling enough, now he had to deal with a crazy soothsayer and a vision, along with his own mental deficiencies and personal problems. Oh…and how could he forget to mention the ridiculous riddle/prophecy that he couldn't figure out. Yep, life was just great.

And now he was sitting in the kitchen at the dining table waiting for the Five and Saber to arrive. Po waited in the quiet room, the only audible sound was the drumming of the bear's fingers against the wooden table. His thoughts drifted to the Five once more. They needed to have a talk...a serious talk. Po had wanted to have this conversation during dinner, but naturally Saber had indulged them in another night of partying at one of the clubs, much to the panda's chagrin. Po had already gone over the conversation in his head a million times at this point.

To sum it up…

Saber had overstayed his welcome and his presence now was simply hindering the Five and their duties to China and the valley.

 **'He's also an annoying bastard,'** Red added in.

His departure was long overdue and he would be packing his bags and leaving by tomorrow morning at the latest.

Furthermore, the Five would be scheduled to double training shifts due to their slacking in recent weeks, as well as mandatory scroll and meditation sessions for the next month.

Now, all this wasn't Po being bitter over them ignoring him and missing his party yesterday...well, maybe a little...but the main reason for this was because of the vision and looming threat that was coming. Regardless of whether or not the threat was coming within a week or a year, Po wanted to be prepared. And if Shifu wasn't returning anytime soon, then that preparation and responsibility rested on his shoulders. Sharing his thoughts over the threat with the Five was the type of productive conversation he needed. He definitely didn't want them arguing with him over any of this.

Po was brought out of his thoughts by the sounds of laughter and footsteps from the stone path outside. Po let out a sigh of relief, thank the gods. Saber and the Five were already back from the club. Usually, they would be out until around midnight or later, but to Po's fortune they were back earlier than usually, it was barely past 9. Rising from his seat, Po crossed his arms as he waited for them to enter the kitchen. After a few seconds the Five entered the room. Upon seeing the serious look on the Dragon Warrior's face they gave each other sideways glances.

"We need to talk," Po stated, his tone leaving no room for argument.

The group all obliged as they gathered around the table and waited in anticipation.

"Someone's not happy," Saber mumbled to his female counterpart, who let out a huff in amusement.

Po stood before the group of warriors and Saber with a look of contemplation and annoyance.

"Saber you're packing your bags and leaving," Po stated.

The room was silent for a few seconds before a loud mix of protests and arguments broke out. Po massaged his temples in frustration before slamming his hand down on the table, "Enough!"

The room quieted again, although the expressions of disbelief, shock, confusion, curiosity, and vexation remained upon their faces.

"May I ask your reasoning behind this Dragon Warrior?" Tigress asked calmly, although you could see a mix of worry and irritation simmering just beneath the surface.

Po frowned. Of all the members of the Five, he'd been sure that Tigress would've been the most reasonable and aware of exactly WHY he had to do this. Saber was a handicap, a parasite, a leech, someone who was unbalancing their lives and schedule.

 **'Pfffffh. You kidding? Yeah, maybe before her and Saber starting boning. Now she's just a girl looking after her possession. She'll probably be the least rational one here. Dumbo,'** Red stated in a matter-of-factly tone.

Po's eye twitched in irritation. Red, as vulgar as he was, had a point. Nonetheless, he'd put his foot down, going back on his word now would just be undermining his own authority.

"Saber is extremely detrimental to our lifestyle. Our training. Your responsibilities. And so forth," he put bluntly.

"I honestly can't think of a reason that he **should** be staying here," Po added rather sarcastically, gosh he'd been hanging out with Red too much.

"Maybe you should be more worried about yourself than us," Tigress added quite sharply.

Po almost flinched at that comment. It'd been years since she'd directed her tone towards him like that.

 **'Oh yeah? Well maybe you should go back to the kitchen!'** Red shot back with a cackle.

Po rolled his eyes, 'Red, we're in the kitchen.'

 **'Shut up! Let me have my moment.'**

"Well unfortunately for you, since Shifu isn't currently here, I make the decisions. Not you! Not Crane! Not Mantis! And especially not that nitwit," Po pointedly returned with a gesture to Saber.

Saber's indignant 'hey!' was drowned out by a stream of arguments between Po and the Five, primarily Tigress.

"Why won't you listen?"

"Saber gets us into all the nightclubs, he can't leave!"

"Because there's no reasonable point to be made!"

"You're just being stubborn!"

"Saber is fun, why does he have to go?"

"This isn't something you can just decide by yourself!"

"What about his Congee?!"

"Last I checked it is!"

"Why are you doing this Po? Why?"

Po let loose a stomp that shook the room's floor, effectively quieting the room once more. The looks from everyone ranged from Viper's look of understanding, to Tigress's look of betrayal and animosity.

"One word...Daemon. Ok! He's the threat that I've been worrying about. He's why Shifu had to leave and possibly why Shifu hasn't returned yet! Meanwhile you guys have been relaxing and sipping back on margaritas!" he told them heatedly.

Saber opened his mouth to speak, but Po's look cut him off.

Directing his attention to the Five, Po continued, "Remember when I took Kai away to the Spirit Realm? Anyone remember that? That was the first time in my life, when I was genuinely afraid for not just my life, but you guys as well… The baddies are just getting worse and worse. We can't take our foot off the gas because we can't afford it…China can't afford it. We're the Furious Five and Dragon Warrior...we can bust criminals and thieves on a livelong day. But people like Tai Lung, like Shen, like Kai, like Daemon...they're the threats that we have to succeed against. And everytime we barely scrape our way past them…How were you guys planning on dealing with this next threat?"

Saber looked uncomfortable as he nervously tapped his foot on the floor, a mixture of guilt and shame riddling his features.

"By slacking off? By…taking training easy…By forgetting your responsibilities…By forgetting who you are? What you fight for? What you represent?" Po listed off in succession.

Tigress stood up out of her seat with a look of anger splayed across her face.

"After all we've done, we deserve to have some personal life! Saber has shown us how to live this past week. Everything will not collapse if we take a few days off!" she argued back with fiery passion.

Po shook his head in frustration, "You don't understand. I've had visions, depicting you guys dea…Listen, this isn't some rash decision. This isn't me being a killjoy. I'm preparing for the worst. Do you think it's a coincidence that Shifu hasn't returned when he should've by now? Do you think that huge bandit raid was just bad luck? Something is coming...someONE is coming," he said leaning across the table, at this point butting heads with the tiger master.

At this point everyone was out of their seats, as the tension in the air was so noticeable you could probably cut it with a steak knife. The two most capable warriors in the room were shooting daggers at each other with their eyes.

Saber was the one to try and extend an olive branch unsurprisingly. Moving the table slowly out of the way, the white tiger put himself between the two warriors, pushing them apart until they were two arms length away from each other.

"Hey guys! Let's not be hasty or say something we might regret," he calmly said with a nervous smile. Both warriors let loose a little tension, so at least they didn't look like they were about to start a brawl anymore. Behind them, Viper let loose a sigh of relief as she watched the interaction. Crane raised an eyebrow, never one for petty arguments. Monkey stood next to him curiously scratching his head.

Mantis of course was the only one to comment, "A little late for that," he muttered with a snicker. Viper gave him a dirty look, reminding herself to smack him upside the head later.

" I realize I may not have been the most...responsible guest in the world. So I can understand where you're coming from," Saber acknowledged, his attention turned towards Po.

"I'll pack and leave the palace. I can just rent an apartment or something down in the valley. And I'll try and stay out of your guys' affairs as much as I can," he placated with a smile.

Po let out a sigh and nodded, thankful that a solution had been met. However, the moment was ruined by Tigress who'd been silent up until this point.

"No."

Everyone's heads turned to the female master as a look of anger and determination was plastered across her face.

"You aren't going anywhere Saber. My boyfriend isn't going to be kicked out of the palace because Po's having nightmares and is paranoid," she stated her tone of voice firm.

She turned to the Dragon Warrior vehemently before poking him in the chest, "You are unbelievable. Where's your proof? Where's your evidence? All I see is a panda who's questioned himself his entire life and has had countless insecurities. And when someone like Saber comes along and is loved for his personality and who he is, you freak out! If anyone is leaving it isn't Saber! You better drop this before you regret it!" Tigress threatened, punctuated every word with her clawed finger.

 **'She's not saying what I think she's saying, right?'** Red questioned in disbelief.

Po steeled his gaze as he glared back at her, "Are you implying that I'm the one who'll be kicked out? Because last I checked...that isn't within you authority **Master** Tigress."

 **'Wow! That was stupid of you...brave...but stupid,'** Red laughed his voice laced with admiration.

'What do you mean? You say stuff worse than that all the time!' Po shot back.

 **'Yeah, but I don't go around telling people. Only you can hear me. So I can say whatever I want without any repercussions.'**

Back to reality, Tigress let loose a mix between a growl and a huff. She was angry no doubt, but at this point the only thing fueling her aggression and anger was her pride and stubbornness. She was never one to lose an argument. And the next words out of her mouth were by all means words she couldn't take back.

"I might not have the authority panda, but I can tell you how I feel...I barely considered you a friend before and now all I see is a childish joke. You act as if you've matured but you still have your dumb action figures. You act like a 2 year old. And you get your nose out of joint when we hang out with someone we enjoy spending time with! If you weren't such a jerk I'd almost feel sorry for you. Get out of my sight! I never want to see your face again you fat panda!" she retorted in anger. As soon as the words left her mouth she wanted to take them back and apologize, but she didn't. Po froze at her words. Was that how she really felt? He'd been demoted from love interest, to friend, to fat panda, in less than 24 hours. If his heart hadn't been broken before it was definitely shattered now.

"Is that really how you feel?" he muttered looking back at her in sadness.

Here was her moment to take it back. Tigress had the opportunity to repair the damage and save her relationship with him. Any type of apology would do, instead the words that left her mouth sealed the deal.

"Do I have to spell it out for you?" she growled, her pride winning over.

"No...No you don't," he muttered, before turning his back to them and exiting the kitchen. He was thankful that none of them could see the tears welling up in his eyes.

The Five stood in absolute shock at what had just occurred. Crane's jaw was on the floor. Monkey's eyes looked ready to pop out of their sockets. Mantis had fainted. And Viper had a look of utter disbelief displayed across her features.

"That was a little harsh Tigress don't you-" Saber began before being cut off by his girlfriend's glare.

"No it wasn't-" Tigress managed before a shrill hiss cut her off.

"Yes it was! What were you thinking?" Viper spat in anger.

As the two female masters got into a heated argument, Saber slunk over to Crane.

"I'm gonna go talk to him. How long do you think those two will go at it?" he whispered, gesturing to the fiery debate between Viper and Tigress.

"Heavens knows...go find Po. He probably went to the Dragon Grotto or peach tree to cool off," he whispered back.

Nodding, Saber exited the kitchen as stealthily as possible. Thankfully, Tigress was too busy snapping at Viper to notice. The white tiger spent the next twenty minutes looking around the palace for the Dragon Warrior. Crane was wrong on both accounts. He wasn't at the Dragon Grotto. And he wasn't at the peach tree either. Not the Hall of Heroes, nor the Scroll room. Saber was about to give up until he saw the faint light coming from the barracks.

'He's probably going to bed. Sleep it off,' he thought in question.

Arriving at Po's room, he found the door wide open with the bear calmly placing a variety of items into a travel pack. He didn't seem angry, or sad, or anything. He was pretty emotionless. Honestly that was scarier than when he was fuming mad.

"Hey bud, umm...what are you doing?" Saber asked with a slight knock on the wood door to announce his presence.

Po had just finished zipping up his bag before throwing it over his shoulder and turning around. He came face to face with the tiger before sighing, "I'm leaving Saber."

Saber looked at him in silence before letting out a forced chuckle, "Very funny big guy. How about we talk and come to some kind of solution."

Po shook his head. This was the end of the line for him. Tigress hated his guts. Monkey and Mantis preferred Saber. Crane was indifferent. Viper cared, but she was only one person. And the whole valley was pissed at him for what he'd done to that gorilla bandit.

"There's nothing for me here Saber, and no talking is going to change that," he let out tiredly.

"But-" Saber was cut off.

"Listen. I can't keep doing this. I've lost all my usefulness. They can move forward without me. The Five were perfectly fine before me, and they'll do just fine after me," he said, pushing past the Siberian Tiger.

As the panda began his walk towards the barracks exit, Saber ran in front of him and blocked the way. Po halted, looking back at the tiger with a neutral expression.

"What about this Daemon guy? If you leave what's gonna happen?" Saber questioned in anxiety.

Po sighed, "Tigress was probably right. I'm just being paranoid. In fact she was right about everything. I'm insecure. You're literally perfect Saber. Everything about you is perfect, annoyingly so. They've found my replacement. You're everything I'm not and arguably better at most things I'm good at," he admitted with a humorless chuckle.

Saber looked as if he was shocked by this revelation, "Well, that's not true...you're much better...you can...you are...um" Saber rambled grasping at straws.

Po shook his head, a small smile albeit a sad one, adorning his features. As much as he wanted to dislike the tiger, there was no reason why he should. Maybe admitting that to himself was something that needed to be done.

Patting the tiger on his shoulder, Po sighed, "You're a good guy Saber. Take care of them. Of her."

With that he exited the barracks, leaving Saber standing alone. The Dragon Warrior slowly headed towards the exit of the Jade Palace grounds.

Saber stood quietly in the dim lighting of the barracks. He couldn't believe that'd just happened.

"It's a shame," he sighed with a huff.

With a few seconds, he walked over to his room. Opening and closing the door behind him. He strode over to his cot and withdrew his suitcase from underneath it before setting it on the bedside. Opening the luggage, he pulled out a remote-like device, pocketing it.

The white tiger pulled out several scrolls (past mercenary jobs that he'd completed). Looking through each, he finally came down to his most recently assigned one.

The scroll read:

 ** _Assignment #398_**

 _ **Reward:** Decided upon mission completion_

 _Target(s):_

 _ **Master Monkey** {Dead or Alive}_

 _ **Master Viper** {Dead or Alive}_

 _ **Master Crane** {Dead or Alive}_

 _ **Master Tigress** {Alive}_

 _ **Master Mantis** {Dead or Alive}_

 _ **Master Shifu** {Dead}_

Saber let loose a toothy grin as he rolled up the scroll.

"It really is a shame."

* * *

Entering the kitchen, Saber found that Tigress and Viper had finally settled down and were now calming sitting at the kitchen table while the others chatted. Once he stepped into the room, Tigress's eyes shot up.

"He was in his dorm wasn't he?" she asked although it sounded more like a statement.

"He was," Saber said with a nod, answering her inquiry. Tigress shook her head, a mix of shame and bashfulness across her face.

"I'll apologize to him in the morning. He's probably angry," she concluded guiltily, staring down at the table.

Saber shook his head, "He's gone."

Tigress snapped her head back to him, "You just said he was in his room."

"I said 'was' not 'is'," Saber returned calmly.

Tigress took a second to process what he was saying before a look of fear emerged upon her face.

"What do you mean gone?" she demanded.

Saber sighed, "I mean he packed up and left."

Everyone looked shocked. Po was gone? He left? What were they going to do? Once Shifu returned and found out what happened, he would be livid. Tigress sprung out of her chair. She'd made a huge mistake. She needed to fix this.

"I have to find him," she fretted, about to dash for the door. The others rose from their chairs in unison, determined to find their friend. Saber rolled his eyes at their actions. He'd been hoping to string them along just a little bit further, at least until the old grandmaster had gotten back. Guess Plan B would have to do...curse his rotten luck.

"I'm afraid that's not going to happen," Saber said sarcastically, taking out the remote-like device from earlier.

The Furious Five turned back around in confusion as to what Saber meant. Saber gave them a look similar to one a parent would give to a child who was misbehaving, before aiming and pushing one of the buttons on the device.

Within seconds, the necklaces he'd gifted them a few weeks back began to glow a green hue. A few seconds after, the necklaces had completely immobilized the warriors. Although their bodies were frozen, their minds and mouths still worked perfectly.

"What the hell Saber?" Tigress let out in a combination of confusion and anger.

Saber walked up to his female counterpart and nibbled her ear, drawing a feral snarl from the kung fu master.

"Sorry babe. But business is business. I must thank you though. You've made my job SO much easier," he chuckled.

The others glared daggers at him, but Tigress looked as if she'd been struck by a cart.

"All those times we had together these past weeks, were just lies?" she muttered in disbelief.

Saber looked over to her and laughed.

"Of course not! I loved every second. Especially when you were on top. That was great," he replied smugly before caressing her cheek.

"Get your hands off me you disgusting animal!" Tigress berated him heatedly.

Saber laughed before backing off, "You didn't seem to mind the other night, kitten."

Crane and Viper looked absolutely flabbergasted. Monkey made a gagging face and began to turn an odd shade of green.

Mantis let out a sound of disgust, "Ew! Dude! Too much info!"

"BASTARD!" Tigress screamed in absolute fury. Once she got her hands on him, she'd rip off his arms and tail and shove them where the sun didn't shine, but not before she nailed him to a boulder and threw him down the Jade Palace Stairs...many...many times.

"I'll kill you! You pig!" she growled at him.

"I'm actually a Siberian Tiger...but close," Saber said matter-of-factly drawing a round of comments from the others.

"You're a fiend!"

"You dishonorable swine!"

"I can't believe I shared my almond cookies with you!"

"Haha that was a good one!"

The others turned their gazes as they glared at Mantis. The bug would've rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment if he could actually move.

"What? It was..." he grumbled half-heartedly.

The others grumbled at the insect's lack of dignity before focusing their gazes back at Saber, who was waiting patiently for them to finish.

"Are you done?"

"Yes?" Mantis stated/asked.

Viper hissed in irritation. When she was able to move again, Mantis was so dead for being such a moron.

"How did you freeze us?" Tigress all but demanded, finally regaining a smidgen of her dignity.

Saber tossed the device up in the air and caught it right in front of her face. This drew another growl from the female master.

"Well dearest since you asked so nicely...your necklaces are chi regulators, my boss lets me play with all the coolest toys. They restrict chi flow throughout your body and I can determine the effects," he gloated, motioning to the dial on the remote.

"Right now you're on level 1. This restricts almost all physical actions aside from talking as you all know," he said in a tone as if teaching preschoolers.

Turning the dial clockwise, Saber watched in fascination as the five lost function of their mouths. Peace and quiet.

"And now you can't talk," he stated in glee. He was almost jumping for joy at this point. Testing out new equipment was always so much fun. This was the first time he used the chi regulators in person. Turning the dial up to max, the necklaces began to glow even brighter until each pendant was as bright as a miniature green sun.

"And now I believe they are draining you chi permanently," Saber half stated, half guessed.

The five's eyes were wide open, the pain they were experiencing was unlike anything they'd ever felt. It was like they were being boiled alive, with needles being stuck through each individual nerve point in their bodies.

"Alright that's enough of that. I'm not **that** mean," Saber let out a chuckle, turning the dial back down to 1.

The five were panting as they once again regained the ability to use their mouths. If looks could kill Saber would be six feet under. Much to his fortune however, looks couldn't kill.

 ** _BOOOOM!_**

The sound of demolition reverberated throughout the palace. The others looked around in worry and confusion, while Saber smiled with a knowing look.

"Oh. The show's starting!" he exclaimed in excitement. He rushed over to Tigress picking up the female master and putting her over his shoulder.

"You guys don't mind if I borrow Tigress for a bit do you? She's not gonna wanna miss this," he laughed before exiting the kitchen leaving the others questioning where he was taking Tigress off to.

* * *

 _ ***The present***_

"Y-you killed them?" Po stuttered in shock. He felt sick, he felt miserable, and a million other emotions that raged throughout his mind.

Daemon nodded with a sigh, "Every last one of them."

Po's gaze was transfixed on the blood stained necklace he cradled in his palms. His father was gone? Dim? Sum? Lei Lei? All of them…

Po blinked away tears that were quickly forming in his jade green orbs. Orbs filled with pain and misery unlike they ever had before.

"Dragon Warrior, I tell you this because I understand the feeling of loss. And now I offer you a chance that most people would die for," Daemon stated calmly, his hands folded in a neutral manner.

Po's gaze snapped up and in an instant his expression morphed from one of sorrow and pain, to a look of absolute hatred and fury. This bastard in front of him had killed his entire family...his race! He probably killed Shifu! He was a maniac!

"What the hell could you possibly offer me that I'd want!" Po raged, finally releasing his anger at the tiger.

Daemon smiled, as if he was expecting this reaction from the bear. Then again, he'd killed the Dragon Warrior's entire species. If he hadn't reacted this way, Daemon would have been shocked. And shocking him was no small feat.

"I offer you your life. I've done enough pointless killing to last me ten lifetimes. So leave. Live your life. In China. In India. Across the seven seas. I don't really care. Stay out of this Dragon Warrior," Daemon vowed, crossing his arms.

Po stood still a thousand thoughts swarming around his head. Thoughts about what would happen to the Five and Shifu. What about the valley? Everyone…

The soothsayer had warned him, she'd told him to leave. And Daemon was handing him his freedom...his life.

Po shook his head clear of these thoughts. How could he even consider this? How could he be so selfish? This bastard killed his entire race! And he was planning on killing millions more if he had his way! There was no other option. He had to stay and fight.

 **'We have to leave…'** Red sighed quietly.

Po froze at this. Never in a million years would Po even think that Red, overconfident and prideful, would ever say those words.

'Are you insane? He needs to be stopped!' Po thought in anger.

 **'Po, I've been analyzing this guy the entire time you've talked,'** Red warned.

'Yeah so?' Po thought in frustration.

Red was quiet for a few moments. Po finally began to think he'd gone away until the voice listed off,

 **'He's stronger than us. Faster than us. More experienced than us. More skilled than us. Has the farther reach. Outweighs us by sheer muscle mass. He's ambidextrous...Po he has no weaknesses,'** Red admitted in defeat, almost a hint of fear.

'We've faced impossible odds before,' Po argued back.

 **'Not like this...If you stay...we WILL die,'** Red finished quietly.

Po ignored the voice. Now was not a time for self doubt, especially in front of someone as formidable as Daemon.

"I can't leave. Not after everything you've done, and everything you will do. You need to be stopped," Po finally returned to the tiger, who'd been waiting in silence.

Daemon shook his head, he was expecting the Dragon Warrior to say this. What a waste of a generational talent. Now he'd have to dispose of him.

"If you do this...You'll force me to take everything from you. I mean EVERYTHING…" the hulking tiger forewarned, one last attempt to dissuade the panda.

Po wasn't budging. He'd made his decision, there was no backing down now.

"So be it," he growled at the enemy before him, getting into a fighting stance.

Daemon sighed in defeat, before withdrawing a small device from his pocket.

"You leave me no choice," he stated in finality before pushing the button on the device. There was a brief hesitation before a huge explosion shook the Jade Palace.

Po's eyes snapped to the direction of the mushroom cloud. The origin of the destruction seemed to have come from near the inner left side of the town...no...it couldn't be...not there.

"You're father, Ping, was the insurance policy Dragon Warrior. Your decision was the deciding factor," Daemon confirmed his worst fears.

Po shook in pain, anger, fear, and absolute rage. Daemon...he just took away the last family he had with the push of a button. He was going to suffer for that.

"YOU'RE DEAD!" Po screamed at him before rushing at the tiger at blinding speed. Without a moment's delay, he let loose a hellish right hook at the tiger's jaw, dislocating it. Not only that, but the force behind the blow ripped open the tiger's skin, spilling blood to the ground, and revealing the bone underneath. Saber was a little stunned by the hit, I'd been a while since someone had actually landed a hit on him. Before he could respond, Po followed up with a roundhouse kick to the tiger's side, breaking a few ribs in the process. Daemon was sent tumbling across the stone pavement of the training ground, before skidding to a halt. Po was on him in under a second, gripping his neck and smashing him face-first into the pavement several times. Po continued his brutal beat down before tossing the tiger several dozen meters up into the air and jumped up after him. On the way up Po hammered his fist into Daemon's face and sternum in rapid succession until they began to descend. As they began their fall back towards the ground, the Dragon Warrior took firm hold of both the tiger's wrists and twisted until there was an audible crack, almost surely dislocating the feline's shoulders. Crashing into the concrete floor, the two left a sizable crater. Smoke and dust spread out in a fog that covered the area. Everything was silent before Daemon was thrown out of the crater like a sack of rice. He landed in a heap, unmoving. Po rose from the crater, his eyes full of hatred. He strode over to the tiger before grabbing him by the tail and swept him around and launched him through the air, smashing through several stone pillars supporting the washing area to the right side of the training ground. The stone constructed edifice soon collapsed on itself due to the damaged pillars. The collapse of the building caused a noticeable tremor to reverberate through the ground.

Po stood breathing very heavily as he stood alone in the silence. That was it. It was over.

That was until the stone rubble began to shake before Daemon exploded out of the collapsed building, landing in a kneeling position.

Po was frozen in shock. How was that possible? And to make matters worse, the tiger, aside from his ripped clothes and soot covered fur, looked almost as good as new. The bruises that covered his body were fading in the blink of an eye. His shoulders snapped back into place. His skin on his previously deformed face was slowly mending itself back together as he let out a laugh.

"That was impressive Dragon Warrior. Your skills aren't exaggerated in the slightest. I can't remember the last time I've been beaten down that hard," Daemon gave a small chuckle, his deep voice echoing throughout the palace grounds.

His quiet laughter died down before he brought his hand up to his cheekbone, feeling his face. The only evidence of what had been a horrible injury was a small scuff with a few drops of blood dripping down his cheek.

"All that effort...for a scratch," he mused in wonder, rising to a standing position.

He didn't iterate a single word before exploding forward at a speed that caught even Po off guard. Daemon was upon the Dragon Warrior in seconds, striking the panda in the shoulder causing his left arm to go numb. Po grunted in shock as he lost function in his left arm before deflecting another jab from the tiger at the last second. Being at a one arm disadvantage usually wouldn't have been a problem for Po. Heck! He could wipe the floor with almost anybody with both hands tied behind his back. However, Daemon wasn't 'almost anybody'. He was really good. Frighteningly so.

Thankfully, after scrambling to hold his defense for just under a minute, feeling began to return to his arm. Once he regained full function, Po was able to hold his own. The duo continued to trade blows back and forth. Even to a trained expert's eye the two would have been almost unrecognizable blurs in motion. Each of them flawless in stance, perfect in timing, efficient in execution. However, after each strike Daemon would get faster, stronger, more precise. He was toying with him. And even so, his attacks began to break through the panda's defense. Every few strikes Daemon would land one. Po's list of injuries was growing longer and longer. Broken bones, dislocated joints, torn muscles, strained tendons...Po was beginning to lose ground, step by step. Sweat was freely flowing down the Dragon Warriors face as he blocked yet another deadly jab from his seemingly invincible opponent. Thinking fast, Po brought his hands together and clapped. The result was a bright flash of chi, temporarily blinding Daemon. This gave the bear a few precious seconds to catch his breath. Wheezing in a mix of pain and exhaustion, Po took a split second to analyze the tiger. What he realized made him more hopeless than he was before. Daemon hadn't even broken a sweat. In fact, his breathing pace seemed as regular as when they'd been conversing ten minutes ago.

"Clever trick Dragon Warrior, but I'm afraid you'll have to do better than that," Daemon stated, surging forward once more.

And so Po did. The bear tried everything. Every fighting technique, every strike, every piece of knowledge he'd gained from the scrolls he'd read the past months. Each time Daemon answered with a simple and effective counter, almost as if he knew each and every move the panda had thrown at him. Po wouldn't be surprised if he did, and then some. Po was tiring and there was not a thing he could do about it. Daemon was just too good. He was more skilled than Tai Lung. More tactical than Shen. Stronger than Kai. He was unbeatable…

Yet another blow snuck through the Dragon Warrior's guard, shattering his collar bone. Po grunted in pain before trying a last ditch effort. He leg swept the tiger, who'd been expecting a grapple, and twisted his arm to a painful angle. His grip on the tiger's arm tightened as he lifted his pinky. This was it. This was his trump card. It hadn't worked with Kai because Kai had already been sent to the Spirit Realm. As far as Po knew, Daemon had never been there, so this was his only shot.

"Skadoosh," Po uttered almost in a prayer, before dropping his pinky. And to his utter dismay, much like Kai, nothing happened.

Daemon looked more annoyed than anything else. He quickly reversed the grip, before sending Po flying towards the edge of the training grounds with a heel kick.

"Sorry Dragon Warrior but that won't work on me. Not anymore," Daemon scolded him, walking up to the tired panda.

Po was tired...he was bloodied...bruised...sore...exhausted. He was knelt over on the ground, everything hurt. Po coughed in pain, blood spilling out of his mouth...probably from a collapsed lung.

"You had my intrigue before we ever met Po. But you have my respect now," Daemon revealed, using Po's name for the first time, as he looked down at the broken warrior before him.

Po laughed, before stopping prematurely because of the sharp pain that shot through his abdomen, most likely the result of a few broken ribs.

"Guess I can cross that off the bucket list of things that don't give a fuck about," Po shot back. Internally he scoffed. He'd **really** been talking with Red too much.

Daemon ignored the jab and dropped his hands to his side.

"I'll give you one last chance, Dragon Warrior...I offer you your freedom and your life. Make your next decision wisely," he stated in finality.

Po looked up at his enemy in pain. Daemon sighed as the panda furiously shook his head before attempting to rise. Po's muscles and joints screamed in protest as he rose to his feet to face Daemon. The deadly tiger stood patiently waiting as he observed his opponent shakily rise to his feet. Po trembled at the effort he was exerting to stay up and on his feet.

"I-I guess I don't know when to quit," Po muttered, raising his hands into a fighting stance.

Daemon sighed, "I guess you don't."

Without hesitation, Daemon sent a series of strikes towards the bear. So exhausted, Po barely blocked the first before the last several hammer blows hit their mark, sending him to the ground. His vision was foggy as he stared up at the tiger. Daemon looked at him in almost a sense of pity, unscathed and unbothered. He'd looked comfortable throughout the entire fight, never once faltering...except once. When Po had used the chi flash against him it seemed to off put the tiger, almost as if he was afraid of it.

 **'Wait that's it! Chi! He's weak against Chi!'** Red burst urgently.

Po's tired eyes grew wide as he came to the realization. The panda quickly closed his eyes in concentration, storing every last bit of his available Chi into his right fist. This was his last ditch effort. If this didn't work, he was screwed.

Daemon, curious as to why Po had stilled and closed his eyes, drew nearer to the immobile panda. As quick as a viper's strike, Po's eyes snapped open before he delivered a Chi saturated punch into Daemon's sternum. The entire training court was lit up in a bright yellow flash. Seconds later, the crash of a body came from a dozen meters away as Daemon's body lay still, smoke rolling off him, a sizable blackened burn mark across his chest. And it wasn't healing.

As if on cue, the flash of lightning and the sound of thunder followed shortly.

 ** _Boooooom!_**

Soon a few droplets of water began to fall out of the sky. Within a minute the droplets turned to sheets as the downpour of cold rain began to grow. Po was soaked in the freezing shower as he continued to stare at the unmoving body of Daemon. It'd been nearly five minutes and the tiger still hadn't moved a muscle. It worked. He'd done it. He'd-

His heart dropped as he thought he saw the tiger twitch. Maybe it was just a muscle spasm?

After a moment, Po's hopes were dashed. Daemon slowly rose to his feet, although not without discomfort. The tiger examined his chest as the mark began to fade, albeit at a very slow rate. Daemon's gaze soon fixed on the laying Dragon Warrior a dozen meters away.

"Remarkable Dragon Warrior...If you'd been at full strength that might have succeeded," he admitted thoughtfully.

He slowly strode over to Po, who was trying to get to his feet. Seizing the bear by the neck Daemon pinned him to the ground. There was only one thing left to do.

"Chi has been a constant threat to my overall goal. You are one of the very last with the ability to use it. But not anymore," he finished promptly.

Daemon subsequently brought back his fist and unleashed his most powerful strike yet directed at the bear's upper spine near his neck.

 ** _Wham!_**

 ** _Crack!_**

"Ahhhhhh!" Po screamed in agony as he felt one of his selected vertebrae snap.

Daemon quickly hammered another blow into his mid spine.

 ** _Wham!_**

 ** _Crack!_**

"Stop! Please!" Po broke down in pain.

Daemon's face was set in determination as he hammered his final blow into the Dragon Warrior's lower back.

 ** _Wham!_**

 ** _Crack!_**

"Agghhh!" Po let out a guttural bellow.

Daemon let out a deep sigh as he released the panda from his death grip. Po couldn't form words as his voice caught in his throat, a mix between a sob of pain, terror, and misery.

"I've just destroyed the three points in your nervous system that allow for Chi use and manipulation. It's over," Daemon informed in resolution.

He calmly stepped over the immobile panda walking a few paces to the stone fence that was a barrier between the training ground and the deadly drop down to the rocky terrain, thousands of meters below. With a swift punch, Daemon obliterated the obstacle leaving the gaping cliff drop open to the training ground.

"This is the end Dragon Warrior. You will not survive. And even if by some miracle you do, you are no longer a threat to me," he avowed with a swift nod towards the drop behind him.

Walking forward, Daemon gripped the bear by his leg slowly dragging him towards the edge with a solemn look across his face.

Po was defeated, hopeless, alone. Daemon was right...it was over for him. He was on the verge of accepting his fate until his eye caught sight of something that made his heart jump.

* * *

Tigress watched in horror as the hulking tiger tore apart the Dragon Warrior easier than she thought was possible. Po had always been unbeatable, the best, always finding a way out. Not this time, he was out of time and out of luck.

She couldn't stand to see this. Every fiber of her being screamed in agony at being unable to help him as Daemon relentlessly beat him senseless. However she couldn't, Saber's Chi regulator made sure of it. All she could do was hope and pray to the gods above that Po somehow could pull through. She couldn't refrain from the look of horror that plastered itself across her face as she witnessed Daemon expertly break Po's spine in multiple places.

"POOOOO!" she screamed in agony as she watched his motionless form lay on the ground. But no matter how hard she screamed he couldn't hear her from across the grounds due to the pounded rain and howling winds.

Watching as the huge tiger broke down the stone barrier, she realized what he was doing. As he strode forward and grabbed Po's leg she screamed once more,

"STOP! STOP! PO! PO! PLEASE!"

"Will you shut up, this is the best part!" Saber grumbled in annoyance, muting her with the remote.

Tigress could only watch in horror as her best friend , someone who had always stood by her regardless of her treatment of him, neared death. And she couldn't do a single thing about it.

* * *

Po caught sight of Tigress standing across the palace grounds several dozen meters away. If he'd been in better condition and more aware, he may have seen Saber standing in the shadows to her left, but alas he wasn't.

"TIGRESS! TIGRESS! HELP ME!" he shouted at the top of his lungs, even though every word he said sent a stabbing pain throughout his body.

To his shock and dismay, Tigress didn't move a muscle, she didn't even say anything back. She just stood there staring at him. Was she still angry at him? This couldn't be happening! He needed her!

"TIGRESS PLEASE! PLEASE! I'M SORRY! PLEASE!" he begged in pain and terror as Daemon neared the edge.

Seconds away from his death, Po gave her a pleading look. And in return he received a blank stare, not a care in the world.

* * *

Tigress's heart felt as if it'd been stabbed multiple times as she heard Po call out to her in pain and misery. She couldn't do anything but stare blankly as the Dragon Warrior finally gave up.

"Y'know this is some next level Romeo and Juliet shit right here," Saber acknowledged as he chewed on a piece of jerky.

Tigress wanted to plug her ears, either that or kill the Siberian tiger, unfortunately neither of those options were viable at the moment.

"You're probably gonna die alone never knowing if he liked you or not," he began.

Tigress's lips trembled at his statement. This couldn't be the end...could it?

"But he's got the worst of it. Because he's gonna die alone, not only being unaware if you love him or not, but thinking that you hate him," he offered dramatically, taking a chunk out of his jerky.

Tigress looked on in realization. This was all her fault. She had no one to blame except herself. Po was going to die...and because of her, he was going to die alone, in pain, and miserable.

Tigress stared as Daemon finally released Po's limp body. She couldn't do anything. Tears streamed down her face as she stood in the cold and rain in silence. Her heart broken.

What she learned later on would torment her for the rest of her life and then some. The truth was...Saber had turned off the Chi regulator minutes earlier. Tigress could've tried to save Po at any time when he was calling for her...begging for her. But her instincts had been fooled, she'd just stood there and let it happen….

And she'd never forgive herself for it.

* * *

 _ ***Minutes earlier***_

Seconds away from death Po came to a realization. He'd been an outcast his entire life. Alone, bullied, tormented because of his looks and personality. Anyone who'd ever given a shit about him had ended up dead. Maybe this was for the better. Everyone hated him...and the few that didn't, paid the price for it. His final thoughts were interrupted as Daemon picked him up and dangled him over the cliff drop.

"This is the end Dragon Warrior...I wish you peace in this life, and the next," Daemon consoled, releasing him and letting the once infallible warrior fall into the dark depths of the rocky valley below.

Po couldn't help but let a few tears escape as he plummeted into the darkness below. The wind whipping past his ears was almost deafening. As he closed his eyes and accepted his inevitable fate, a final thought was on his mind.

She didn't care...none of them did.

* * *

 **A/N: That's the end for now. Hope you guys enjoyed the rather speedy update. Having an abundance of free time can do that to a person. This was a fairly crazy chapter. Leave any feedback or questions in the comments if you want. I'll catch you guys in the next update.**

 **Frost2001 Out!**


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